Wisdom of the Wounded

I was depressed.  I could not get myself to do what I knew would help me. If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.  Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.  ~Raymond Inmon I knew that a good brisk walk would give me energy and lift my spirits, but as  […]

Instead of lecturing my husband and me to “get out of the house and do something fun” after I had a miscarriage, some friends sent us dated coupons for a dinner at our favorite restaurant along with movie gift cards.  Those gifts helped get us out of the house and take a break from suffering. […]

Emily Dickinson said in one of her poems, “There is no frigate like a book to take us miles away.”  Reading to someone does just that:  It can help them forget for a little while their pain, their loneliness, their anxiety. When Jack was in his eighties his eyesight was diminished and he was too […]

When I was ill with a terrible cold—the kind that makes you feel miserable and you can  barely move your body from one room to another—a friend called and said, “I am at the grocery store, what may I pick up for you?” I responded, “Oh I would love some orange juice and three cans […]

Today’s wisdom is from God: “God so loved the world that he gave us Jesus,” and Jesus shows us in his life, death and resurrection: how to love God and all of our neighbors. In Jesus, God says to each one of us: A -I ACCEPT you as you are. B – I BELIEVE you […]

Donna shares, “With no apparent symptoms at the tender age of three and a half months our son, Justin, died. It happened in the evening just after my husband had left for a meeting.  I rushed my baby to the hospital, but the doctors could not revive him. Many people avoided talking about Justin. It […]

One day Larry George told me that some dear friends had just learned that their son had died from an overdose of drugs. Larry wondered what he could say to this mom and dad. What can one say in a situation such as this? Charles Swindol offers some advice: “Be real. Admit your honest feelings. […]

What is one of the most wonderful gifts you can give another person?

You don’t have to go to the mall to buy it. It’s free, and it is one of the most powerful ways to be God’s “light” to those who are suffering. What is this wonderful gift? It is listening, really listening to another person. Hearing his or her story and helping the person tell his or her story.

Say, "I know you are hurting, and I really care about that. If you want to talk about it, I'll listen." Then let the person talk without interrupting.

Tell me, "You have been in my thoughts." That is a greeting which will allow me to choose my response. If I feel a need to share any feelings or thoughts, I can do so, or I can choose to say simply, "Thank you," and go on to talk of other things.

Who can resist freshly baked homemade chocolate chip cookies . . . or any kind of cookie? How do you like to eat your chocolate chip cookies: Warm? With a glass of cold milk? With a cup of coffee? You will enjoy the cookies even more, if you share some of them with another person. […]