You Are a Healer

I was on the phone tonight with a close friend of mine talking about helping people through painful events in our lives. One of our conversations was wrapped around why so few people show up to help when someone is clearly hurting. About two years ago a friend of mine asked for some personal time to address a character issue that he was dealing with. I was very sad for him because clearly he had deep remorse, shame and a sense of doom over his future. We talked for hours and discussed Gods sovereign grace and some things he could do to start building new habits that would take him on a new path for his life. It seemed as though the time was a good investment and I felt like he was definitely going to be off to a fresh start. Tonight we had another long conversation and it didn’t go as well. He had felt that I had somewhat abandoned him and not followed through on what I had promised him during his recovery stage. I felt really bad and realized that I had made an error in judgment of what he really needed from me. It was painful to hear but also helped me to realize how important our time and words are. What I learned tonight through both of these conversations is that we all really need to reach out a lot more than we think we do when it comes to people that are hurting. I had stated that it is really ridiculous and insensitive that so few people go out of their way to reach out and help the hurting souls of the world. I seem to often take this personally as I go through things as well. Have you ever heard the quote “you may think you are just one person in this world, but to one person you may in fact be THE world”. Well I think this is really the key to what my friend was telling me. We often think that we are really nothing important. We don’t realize how helpful our little comments really help the hurting! We think that “well, who am I” “I am just one little person in this big persons life. Surely my thoughts don’t matter and there is nothing I can do to help this person. I hope we can all deeply embrace the knowledge and discipline to remind ourselves of this fallacy. Every one needs to be loved and nurtured. You may be the only one that reaches out, or you may be the perfect friend they need at that time. You may finally find the reason for your testimony. To really be able to reach out and touch a sole as a result of the pains in your life is truly one of the most therapeutic things you will ever do. You really do count. Please take the extra time on a frequent basis to reach out to the hurting and fragile. Make the time and take them to lunch or find a way to bless them with love and kindness. As I was in the turmoil of my recent life change my good friend Phil Kirschenmann came up and took Braden and I to a Mariners game. That was actually the first time out in the public in 30 days. Amazing but true!! It took the prodding of a good friend to bust me out of the safe confines of my home. So I would like to leave you with a little advice and challenge. I want you to think for a bit about all the people in your life that are probably hurting for any reason and either give them a personal loving phone call or take the time to go be with them in a way that will help them heal. If you are the person that is hurting or feeling a bit forgotten then I would encourage you to not take it personally. My friend is right, and if not this is still a healthier way to think, your friends are either giving you space, making an innocent mistake or don’t realize how important they are and how healing your reaching out to them could really be. My challenge to you all is to make a list of your hurting brothers and sisters, post it in a private but visual space and take the time to either call them or be with them at least once a week until the issues have clearly passed. Thank you my friends you will save a life out there and it might just be your own. You are loved, you are forgiven and you are worthy!! “To one person you may think you are just one person in this world but to another person you may be the world”. please make that call!!