Endurance for the Journey, Featured, Relationships
For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1,4 (NLT)
Compassion and open-ended commitment begin with allowing others time to cry. There is a time to cry and grieve, as the Bible says. We cannot expect newly hurt people to dry their tears and listen to our well-rehearsed Bible passages about suffering, hoping they will change overnight.
They need time. Friends who lack real compassion find it difficult to give others time to adjust or accept their pain. Impatiently, they look for immediate results of their prayers and efforts.
So if there are rules on how to be a compassionate friend to a hurting person, the first would be to sincerely carry their emotional baggage. Allow your friend the freedom to express himself. Let him cry. Better yet, cry with him. Joni Eareckson Tada
Love each other with genuine affection,
And take delight in honoring each other.
… and weep with those who weep.
ROMANS 12:10,15 (NLT)
On the journey with you,
Jan & Dave Dravecky
