Thursday, June 3, 2010

do not publish

Occasionally I get a comment that includes the words, "do not post" or "do not publish." I received such a comment yesterday. I always honor their request.

To the person who sent the comment and to anyone else that needs to hear this:

There are very few "pat" or perfect answers in life. About anytime some well meaning preacher says something about "just do this, or just do that," there is always a situation for which the advice seems impossible. I am sorry that my post from the other day appears to have just stirred up old wounds.

I have no experience with the kind of pain that you are describing. I did not and do not ever mean to provide anything but the highest respect for the pain that people are feeling. There are some situations that defy advice. Yours is a tough one.

Although I have never experienced what you have, I want to tell you that in my life, I have experienced a good deal of pain. I wish that there was a good answer. I encourage people to pray and to do their best to trust in God and release the pain. I would also encourage them to put some distance between the source of the pain and themselves, but this is not always possible.

And so we live. Sometimes joyful, sometimes limping along, dragging ourselves through the day, praying that God will help us see the good. Having friends helps. Having someone to talk to helps. If I could, I would hug you and tell you that I am so sorry for what has happened. Words, even words from a pastor do not fix every problem, but I am hopeful that the kindness that we can show to one another will help to brighten the day.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the post today. Often times I feel the church is only for people who have it all together and not for us disconnected people. But todays post helped.