Last week, one of our church members died. She had been fighting cancer since before I arrived, so I visited her and her husband several times over the last 15 months. Throughout the past seven days, I spent a lot of time with her family: in the hospital, at the funeral home, at the funeral and burial and lunch. Mourning the loss of a beloved wife and mother and grandmother is heartbreakingly difficult for the family. Ministering to a grieving family is certainly not the most fun part of my job.
But last week I had a strange thought: in a way, this is why I'm here. Visiting those around me and especially walking with those who are grieving is probably the most valuable thing I can contribute to a church and community. Let's face it: you can find sermons on TV or online, sermons delivered by preachers who are far more experienced and intelligent and eloquent than I am. Well-written and insightful Bible studies and Sunday school curricula are pretty easily available. When you really get down to it, the thing that I can do that a book or computer or TV preacher can't do is show up. I can be present. I don't always know what to say or what to do. I'm not sure I'm very good at dealing with death and funerals. But I can do my best to be with those who are hurting. And—praise God—that's often all God needs to use me.
Grace and peace,
BMH
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