Open or Closed?

I heard a great message last night about the church helping the hurting to heal. It was a challenge to each of us as the church to care for our hurting brothers and sisters, to love them through hard times even when those hard times shake our own foundation. He told a sobering story about an experience that had happened at the church he attends and how, while suffering a great deal of pain, the church was strengthened through their collective effort to give comfort and support to those most immediately hurt. I have seen it happen in my own congregation and know the power of working together to heal wounds.

The other side of the equation is for someone to be willing to be open about their struggle. That person needs to feel safe. They need to feel trust. They need to feel love.

All of those - safety, trust, love - we have with God but we seldom have with other people. We need to make sure as the body of Christ, we offer that, or more than offer, we resonate safety and trust and love. When we do, when we resonate those things, people will be open, they will seek shelter in God and healing can begin.

I want to resonate safety and trust and love. I want be there for people who are hurting, who are wounded, who need to heal. I do not think it's easy but I do know the grace of God, I have experienced it, felt it, live it and because of that, I want others to know it too.