Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2, NIV
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, NIV
A couple of weeks ago, my elderly mom fell and broke her leg and her arm. What followed were two surgeries, a week’s stay in the hospital, and now what looks to be a month or two in a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. Since my mom also has Alzheimer’s Disease, my sisters-in-law and I each took turns spending the night with mom in the hospital so we could advocate for her, bring comfort, and be a familiar face in a frightening situation.
The nights when I stayed with my mom in the hospital were often the hardest. She would cry out in pain all night long and let the discomfort really show. Yet when others stayed the night with her, she was quieter and would silently endure the pain and find a way to sleep.
At first, I wondered why I had to witness the hardest moments. Honestly, I wrestled with the Lord over this. I was upset and grieved. But over time, the Lord helped me see things differently.
Maybe she wasn’t falling apart because I was there. Perhaps she was able to stop holding herself together because I was there.
Precious teacher, have you had a time like this with a student? Perhaps yours is the class they have chosen to act out in, and yours are the buttons they have chosen to push. Maybe yours is the desk they have visited before or after school to share some desperately hard burdens they are struggling with. Maybe yours is the class that all of their pent-up emotions have spilled out over a seemingly trivial matter. Maybe, just maybe, they are acting out with you, not to frustrate you and not because they believe you can fix it, but because they feel safe to share their pain and emotions with you.
Being invited to bear a burden and remind someone through presence that they are not alone is not only a weight…it is also a gift.
Thankfully, God is “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1:3). He doesn’t ask us to carry another person’s pain through our own strength. Instead, He meets us in that hospital room, beside that desk, in that hard conversation, and that sleepless night, and He enables us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2).
Whose difficult situation has God trusted you with, and how can you reflect God’s compassion to them, knowing that you don’t carry that burden alone?
Dear Lord, thank You for trusting me with the hearts and hurts of those around me. When I feel overwhelmed by what I can’t fix, remind me that You are the God who sees them and me, and the One who brings comfort. Please give me patience, wisdom, the strength to serve in the hard places, and the grace to point others to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright Lori Longridge.
Lori serves as the official bookkeeper for Christian Educators in the California office.
