Be With

It’s not glamorous or often talked about. It’s sometimes known as the “fog of suffering” as author Kate Bowler describes it. It’s the times when you are unable to see a path forward, fix the situation, or even give advice. How do you show up for yourself and others during times of deep struggle?

My most meaningful moments in relationships have been when others have come alongside me in times of personal difficulty. There is nothing more comforting that knowing someone is there to simply “be with” you through it. It speaks volumes without having to say a word. It reaffirms that I am loved. It says that no matter what, I am not alone. It reminds me of the unwavering promises that Jesus left us.

A dear friend of mine shared this passage of writing with me recently. This excerpt is a section of letter written by Reverend Dr. Sam Wells on what it looks like to face the storms of life with trust, courage, faith and hope. It speaks volumes of truth on what these times look like if done right – either for yourself or for someone else.

I couldn’t help but share it with all of you. Read it. Soak it in. Let it speak to your heart.

Let’s take an inventory of what walking toward the storm would mean.

It would mean going into your bottomless fear: naming it, facing the worst thing that could happen, feeling the impact of that thing, and then trusting that God will meet you.
So that you go through and beyond your fear, and out the other side: that’s courage – trembling courage.

It would mean facing up to the unspeakable waste; the dream of what your life was supposed to be, the template for what you thought God had in store for you.
The good things you thought you were entitled to hope for. The goals, prospects, and options.
And instead, focusing on this thing you’re walking towards as perhaps the only thing that God wants you to concentrate on right now, believing that God will look after the rest. That’s trust – quavering trust.

It would mean entering into the convulsing grief, loss, fear of separation, of isolation, of not mattering anymore. Of being snuffed out like a candle. Of it seeming as if you’d never been. Of having no meaning to your life except what God makes for you. And believing that’s all that counts. That’s faith – shuddering faith.

It would mean accepting the prospect of harrowing pain of uncertain duration, unpredictable death, and relentless intensity with no protection except the everlasting arms. And believing those arms will never let you go. That’s hope – quaking hope.
– Rev. Dr. Sam Wells

Who do you need to simply “be with” right now? Who do you need to walk toward the storm with? Maybe it’s none other than yourself. Ask God to help you receive and give away the sacred gift of “being with.”

xo Carre

Be With

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