"Care"

They don’t know, though they might say,

How we feel when we’re not okay,

Better they just go away,

‘Cause they don’t understand.

It’s possible that they’re sincere,

But say what we don’t need to hear,

The bottom line is harsh I fear,

And rarely goes as planned.

But folks who show us sympathy,

Must have honest empathy,

Without the phony tendency,

To gloss over what is deep.

There to simply show they care,

A loyal presence always there,

With or without words to share,

With comfort we can keep.

A real friend who will always stand,

Rides the river for the brand,

No matter where we fall and land,

They show their loyalty.

You don’t need more than one or two,

God sends the ones you need to you,

God’s presence graces just a few,

Makes all the difference, see.

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:4, NLT)

We are all called to be care-givers. This is because God has comforted all of us and assigns us the opportunity to pay the comfort forward. But when we do we must be sensitive to the person we are trying to help. Quoting scripture in a superficial way or saying “we know how you feel” can do more harm than good. Sometimes it’s just about being there for them as a caring presence. The Lord will show us how to do it if we let the Spirit lead.

Lord, teach us how to effectively pass along the comfort You’ve given us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jason Rich, used by permission. Thanks, Jason, and God bless you.