pain and suffering

I am an observer of pain and suffering, and a recent participant, as well.

What I see in the lives of those with whom I sit in hospital rooms, counsel in my office, comfort at the rest home, encourage over the phone or via e-mail--whatever the venue--is a deepening need for the community of faith.

During my recent bout with kidney stones I was encouraged by cards, phone calls, e-mails, and the assurance of prayers. People offered their "sure-fire" antidotes as well, but the real blessing was that of my church family's connectedness to me during the three week ordeal.

The patient facing surgery, or battling cancer; the couple trying to hold their marriage together; the wife of an alzheimer's patient struggling with his disesse; the family weathering the storm of a son's addiciton; a new convert seeking to live out his new-found faith; a seasoned worker without a job. What do these all have in common? A need for the community of faith to come alongside them--not necessarily with words of theological reason and a formula for immediate resolution...but with simple love and concern.

I can do that...and so can you.