A Safety Net of People

We’ve had a beautiful weekend here in southern Iowa, but it’s been a tough few days. A dear friend passed away on Friday, and a child who had battled health issues since birth entered eternity as well.

As a pastor I often see situations that nobody should ever have to go through alone. No one should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problem pregnancy or an abnormal breast exam. No one should ever have to wait for news from a battlefield alone. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when their spouse has just walked out. And no one should ever be alone having just lost a loved one.

Life’s tough times and tragedies are inevitable – each of us will face them. But we don’t need to go through them alone. Let me remind you of God’s promise.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the LORD, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:2 & 3)

That’s a great promise. But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty for a moment. The promise of God’s presence is truly wonderful......but we still want someone "with skin on", too, don’t we? And truly, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

See, God knew we’d want that too, which He designed us for relationships. Have you ever wondered why people who live a reclusive lifestyle tend to be a bit "strange"? It’s because their lives are lacking relationships. We were wired for relationships.

Those relationships become even more important when we find ourselves going through difficult times. Face it, we need each other! That’s why the Bible gives us some instructions:

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15)

The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it’s often easy to join in on the party. But when someone is having a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But really, it’s simple. When you’re going through a crisis, you don’t want advice; you just want somebody to be there – to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you.

Here’s another verse:

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

As a pastor I've spend many hours in waiting rooms, hospital rooms and funeral homes. Years ago I would worry about having "the right thing" to say. But here's what I've learned: encouraging someone else doesn’t always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence – waiting and weeping with a friend.

I hope you have a safety net of people and relationships that you know you can count on in life’s toughest times. If not, let me encourage you to go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable and you don’t want to find yourself going through difficulty alone.