Messy

I really appreciate your caring comments in regards to my Going Postal post. I guess many of us have these big hearts and just take in more than they can handle sometimes.


I am actually comforted by that.


I think that God created us to need each other and hurt for one another. I would feel very sad if it were the other way around.


I think that too often we can shelter ourselves in our own little "perfect" world and put up walls into other people's messy lives. The thing is, we need each other. We need to get messy with people and we need them to get messy with us when the time comes. You will note I said when and not if. Because, life just happens, and sometimes it is messy.


I don't want to be that person that shelters myself from others lives. I want to be the person that wants to open my heart and lend an listening ear to other's sorrow (and their joys, too!)


I want to be the person that draws another to me just to pray for them because they see kindness in my face or hear gentleness in my voice.


I want to be the person that is not afraid to touch a friend who is in the hospital or the homeless guys that attend my church.


I want to be the person who listens to the woman who talks too much about her problems in bible study.


I want to be the friend that comforts, commiserates, consoles, listens, helps, loves and speaks truth when needed.


I just want to be able to do these things and then give it to the One whose heart is big enough to handle all the messiness the world can create.


None of my friends that I spoke of last week even asked for me to fix a thing. Some of them didn't even call me specifically. And some of them just called because they knew I would listen.


Thank God I am able to be there for them. Thank God that I don't have any of these larger issues happening in my life right now, so that I have the opportunity to listen to theirs. Thank God that they trust me to pray for them. What a privilege!


I just chose to take their pain and tuck it in my heart. To make it my own. I chose to worry about it. Not to show concern, but to worry. Big difference there.

And then was gently reminded in my study this week. "Do not worry." Jesus says not to worry 5 times in Matthew 25-34. He says, "Do not worry, I've got it covered."
Okay, okay, I'm beginning to get it.