Recent Articles
08/21/2019
When people are suffering, they don’t need someone to give them a pep talk, they need someone who will listen. Whitney Hawkins Goodman is a family therapist and she says that sometimes well-meaning people try to help a struggling friend with statements like, “try to look at the bright side” and “think positive!” Whitney calls […]
07/31/2019
“I am losing my energy and I am so tired of this pain—so tired of searching for answers—I can’t stand to visit one more doctor and tell him about my fourteen-year battle with chronic pain. . .” As my friend talks about her feelings, what am I doing? Am I totally focused on what my […]
What is the most wonderful gift you can give a suffering person? You don’t have to go to the mall to buy it, you don’t have to wrap it, it’s free, and it is one of the most powerful ways to be God’s light to those who are struggling. What do you think that gift […]
06/27/2019
Did you know that the word “comfort” is derived from a Greek word that means “to come alongside and encourage?” God says, “Go comfort my People” and asks us to walk alongside someone during their times of pain. But that’s not always easy, is it? Nicholas Walterstorff, a well-known theologian and author of Lament of […]
05/21/2019
So many times, when someone comes to us and tells us about their pain, we aren’t sure how to respond. So we say the first thing that comes to mind, which often sounds like advice. For example, we might say, “What you need is some time away” or, “Have you considered reading the book______? It […]
04/23/2019
Are you comfortable praying aloud in public? If you are, good for you! I have a confession: praying aloud is uncomfortable for me. I just don’t know what to say. Yet I believe in the power of prayer, and we are told to “Pray for the sick.” (James 5:14.) So when I pray for someone […]
04/02/2019
How can you pray when you can’t find the words? Sometimes the news is so awful, that words escape us. Or the situation is so shocking that we are momentarily stunned into silence. But we want to help our suffering loved one or friend. Prayer connects us with God and empowers us to help others. […]
