"Carry each other's burden's, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. " ~Galatians 6:2
We all know her, she's the one we've gotten use to being at every event, function, book club, coffee date...she's that girl. Then slowly we notice she cancelled her RSVP, she wasn't at the gym last week, she's stopped responding to text or phone calls. Then a few weeks go by and you catch a glimpse of her, dark circles, tired and just a shadow of the friend we use to know. Then the rumors, and assumptions start. But why? Why did we never think to keep texting, stop by with a cup of coffee, send a note in the mail, or just plain ask?
A few times in my life I've been on both ends of this. I've been the one who should have answered the call but didn't, and the one waiting. Waiting for help, waiting for honesty, waiting for a prayer partner. We are called to be better than this, over and over again in the New Testament we hear Christ and Paul reference the need for authentic community. That we will all stumble, and we will all need to be called out in love on our actions. Before I lose you to the "Great, but you need to depend on Jesus", I agree. But I respond to you with, "were we not called to this?" Called to walk a mile or two with our sisters and brothers? Note that I say a mile or two, because after all this is their journey, their salvation walk and we can not carry it for them. But we can bring a cup of coffee, pray for one another, sit in silence so they know they are not alone. I challenge you this week to send a note to two friends that have been on your heart, but you've failed with the follow through. This world isn't going to get any better by typing "Amen" under a Facebook post. It gets better when we obey. Carry the load, step out in love, and make your corner just a little bit brighter.
We all know her, she's the one we've gotten use to being at every event, function, book club, coffee date...she's that girl. Then slowly we notice she cancelled her RSVP, she wasn't at the gym last week, she's stopped responding to text or phone calls. Then a few weeks go by and you catch a glimpse of her, dark circles, tired and just a shadow of the friend we use to know. Then the rumors, and assumptions start. But why? Why did we never think to keep texting, stop by with a cup of coffee, send a note in the mail, or just plain ask?
A few times in my life I've been on both ends of this. I've been the one who should have answered the call but didn't, and the one waiting. Waiting for help, waiting for honesty, waiting for a prayer partner. We are called to be better than this, over and over again in the New Testament we hear Christ and Paul reference the need for authentic community. That we will all stumble, and we will all need to be called out in love on our actions. Before I lose you to the "Great, but you need to depend on Jesus", I agree. But I respond to you with, "were we not called to this?" Called to walk a mile or two with our sisters and brothers? Note that I say a mile or two, because after all this is their journey, their salvation walk and we can not carry it for them. But we can bring a cup of coffee, pray for one another, sit in silence so they know they are not alone. I challenge you this week to send a note to two friends that have been on your heart, but you've failed with the follow through. This world isn't going to get any better by typing "Amen" under a Facebook post. It gets better when we obey. Carry the load, step out in love, and make your corner just a little bit brighter.
