Sometimes I hurt.  I am not talking about pain in the joints or headaches (although I have those too), but about emotional discomfort, mental weariness, or just soul-scorching, hard biting pain.  Sometimes I feel that pain within myself, but often it is cast upon me by listening to the pain of others.  And it sucks.  It sucks worse than anything I can imagine.

I am by nature a sympathetic person.  I usually root for the underdog.  I like rags-to-riches success stories.  But those are so rare.  People talk to me and I listen and they share some great stories that inspire me to be more.  But they also share their pain.  And let me be absolutely clear: that is perfectly fine.  Please share your pain with me, and if not with me then with someone.  I cannot tell you I have answers to heal you on the spot, but I can listen and hold you up and pray that it will all work out.  I can do that.  And I will do that.

You see there is a lot of talk about living like Jesus.  “What would He do?” and that kind of thing.  I wonder why we never ask ourselves, “What would He feel?”.  He hung on a cross and that is bad enough.  I cannot imagine hanging on a cross with railroad spikes in my hands and feet.  But even worse is the pain of having every sin ever committed past, present or future on my shoulders.  I would absolutely collapse under that weight.  And rising from the dead after an epic struggle with Death and Hell?  Forget about it.  I will be sleeping a lot when I am dead because I am worn out now.  But Jesus set an example there.  The world is not easy and people are even harder.  But we must bear with one another.  I will hear of your pain.  Will you do the same for me?