[dropcap2 variation=”coffee”]”I[/dropcap2] don’t have to worry about hell,” Melissa exclaimed. “I’m in hell right now.”
Melissa grew up in an alcoholic home, never knowing what to expect. She ran away when she was fifteen, got married two years later and had two children. When her husband turned physically abusive, she left home again.
Melissa went to work. She got her GED. She went to night classes at a local community college and eventually landed a career.
Just when things were looking up, two uniformed officers showed up at her door and informed Melissa that her daughter had been killed in an accident.
Melissa never recovered.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “My life has been a war.”
I just listened to Melissa and then prayed for her.
Many times we don’t have answers. In the face of intense suffering, listening and prayer are two powerful ways to bring comfort. Shutting our mouths can be one way to open our hearts.
People are hurting. Do we see them? Can we hear their heart-cries?
Let’s listen, and pray.
Question: Can you think of a time when someone made a real difference just by listening to you? What did that feel like?
