_______________________________________

Perhaps our most powerful witness is our Christian “withness.” “Withness” is how we come alongside one another to share the load as Christ shows us (Galatians 6:2). So often when I am with someone who is struggling, I think about what I can say or do to “make things better,” when what is really needed is to offer my presence. We sorely underestimate the importance of our “withness.” The most important thing a person in crisis needs is to know is that they are not alone. Think of a time when someone came alongside you when it seemed like everything was falling apart.  Remember their gentle, patient presence and willingness to engage with you and listen without offering unsolicited advice. Can you recall how you felt as a result? Perhaps, you felt like you could breathe a little deeper. Jesus intends to reveal the struggling, spinning, chaotic world in a more excellent way by His great love for each one of us through our “withness.”

Prayer: Loving Lord, lead me to someone who needs to know they are not alone in their struggle. Help me to come alongside them the way You have brought others alongside me. Amen.

______________________________________