Thursday, December 11, 2003
Don't Bother Me With Your Problems
A friend of mine recently wrote on his blog:
A longtime-friend who is going through some difficult times right now, relating to the breakdown of his family, has been sharing with me, and I am saddened by this turn of events in his life. But, the interesting thing is, I had a great time of fellowship with him. Why? Because this was a REAL LIFE thing that he was going through, and I am thankful that he felt comfortable in sharing it with me and a small group of people.Why are we not allowed to grieve? We have been given, by God, a whole range of emotions. Happiness. Sadness. Grief. And we are all called to bear one another's burdens. How often do we do that?
My friend's comments are so true and reminds me of what Ella Wheeler Wilcox once wrote: "Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone". Many Christians are uncomfortable dealing with other people's pain and suffering, especially if it involves awkward situations like divorce or teen pregnancy or other taboo subjects. All too often, Christians only want to hear glowing stories with happy endings that make them feel good. They don't want to invest the time or emotional energy to really help bear another person's burdens.
