I was thinking this morning (when am I not thinking, ha-ha)
about the times we need some words of support, a boost to help us out of a
funk. This has been one of those weeks where I’ve sorely needed that.
For instance, my emotional state was already in turmoil the
other day when I had to make a dentist’s appointment for an issue I’ve been
putting off for a couple months while deciding which option to take. I’m a mess
when it comes to anything related to the dentist, and with some other upsetting
things going on, my mental wellbeing was at rock bottom. When I finally got to
a real person after having to listen to automated phone prompts, I crashed.
To hear a real human voice put me over the edge and I just
broke down in sobs. I was embarrassed, but she was wonderful, calmed me down,
and even told me something about herself which showed me she did understand and
that I was not alone. My tears stopped and my mind ceased its spiraling.
Simple, kind, gentle words can be so powerful. They don’t
have to be fancy words. You don’t have to be saying anything special. The words
don’t have to come from a professional or from someone with status or even
highly educated. Just simple, kind words.
There are those who go on and on about God and praying;
those who parody what the Christian church has preached for years. If that’s
what works for them, I’m happy for them, but that rhetoric doesn’t work for me.
I pray and give thanks every day. I know my prayers are
heard, but sometimes I crave human interaction/discussion. Yes, I know I am not
alone in dealing with emotional issues, but to have someone say, “I hear you. I’ve
been there and this is how I dealt with it,” means the world. To hear them tell
a bit of their story, share a moment of their vulnerability, can help me stand
tall. If they’ve gotten through stuff, I can, too!
Or, even if they’ve not had a similar issue, just knowing
they’ve listened and didn’t brush me off can make a huge difference. We all
have struggles, and our problems don’t have to be the same for us to understand
one another. What’s the same is we all face challenges in one way or another. We
hurt. We suffer heartache. It’s the struggling and trying to get by in life
that creates a bond with others… when we can take the time to talk and listen
to one another.
I also believe in “God works in mysterious ways.” I know we
don’t always hear God speaking directly to us. Most of the time, we don’t get
answers immediately, and sometimes, Spirit works through others to get messages
to us. Sometimes when we receive an answer, it may not even feel like it comes
from God.
For instance, I often call one of my friends, one of my muses.
A simple nonjudgmental suggestion from her can light my creative fire. A few
kind words can empower me to stand tall and set me off to a bit of
inspirational writing. And sometimes, when she is relating an issue she is
dealing with (or we just need to rant about a topic), it inspires me to look at
some aspects of my life to improve.
This has happened often enough I believe God works through
her. I know the words come out of her mouth (or out of her mind as she types an
email), but I also believe there is something more at work, something greater
than just us. Yes, there are aspects that are our personal stories, but there
is more to it, something special.
I’ve been on that end, too. There are times someone has come
to me, and words just flow out. I don’t even always remember what I said, but I’ve
been told I’ve said what they needed to here… because it’s all said with compassion
and care for another human being. I try to surround my words with caring, and I
truly believe something greater is helping. We can give simple emotional
comfort to each other and trust the higher powers to help.
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