Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
–Romans 12:15
A mother sent her little girl to a neighbor’s house down the street one afternoon to get a toy she had left there. Thinking it would only take her about 10 minutes, the mom became concerned when her daughter hadn’t returned after about 30 minutes.
So the mom stepped outside to look down the street to see if she saw her daughter. Sure enough, the little girl was on her way back. “What took you so long?” the mom asked.
“I’m sorry mom. When I got to the house, my friend had broken her doll and she was crying. So I helped her fix it.”
“Well, what did you do to fix it?” questioned the mom.
The little girl responded, “I cried with her. And now it’s all better.”
That’s exactly what a lot of folks need today… not someone who can be Mr. or Mrs. Fix-it and put the pieces back together. They need someone who will grieve with them first. They need someone who will take time out of his or her schedule to empathize.
Be that person for someone else. Take time to share grief and bear burdens together. That’s what it really means to love one another through pain.
LOVE OTHERS WHO HURT BY SPENDING TIME AND SHARING IN THEIR PAIN
