Today I had two conversations with two friends who are struggling. They are good conversations to have, not because my friends are struggling, but because honest words are shared…
I have learned some valuable lessons about struggling over the last few years….
I have learned that struggling is normal and if we live life honestly, we all have areas of struggle….
I have learned that struggling offers me two choices….
invites me to think like a victim, pointing the finger at others who have created my situation
OR
invites me to honestly identify what is happening and what will I need to call forth to move through this area of struggle…
I have learned that struggling can be a very lonely place to be, but when I am willing to risk sharing my struggle, I often feel supported and loved…
I have learned that struggling invites me to call out to God in new ways. Often I can identify a faulty thought process or something I am believing about God or others in the midst of my struggle….
It is hard to watch friends struggle, but I am thankful that I have learned to sit with them and not take it on acting as if it is my responsibility to rescue them.
I believe in the integrity of both friends who are in very different struggles
I believe in the power of prayer and encouraging words…that in time, they will find themselves hopeful again….
I believe in the truth that struggling well develops our faith, our character and our hearts….
I believe that living honestly in the midst of our struggles allows us to journey with others in their struggles…
I am grateful for those who have modeled for me, encouraged me and invited me to struggle well…
I want my friends to do the same…and so I will love them and sit with them….and trust that in time this to shall pass!