Life on this earth is hard. Bad things happen all the time…not just cancer and death because of cancer but other tragic things as well. I found that I used to hear about something bad happening to someone and would actually try to push it out of my mind. It was almost as if I couldn’t handle expending the energy it would require to be emotional about it. I also felt completely powerless to do anything to change it, and that made me feel small.
Then I experienced my own hard thing and the compassion of Jesus in it. I realized that He was by my side through it all, feeling all my hurt and struggle. Not only that, but He was giving me His Word on a daily basis to sustain me. And isn’t it our goal to be like Jesus?
So now when I hear bad news, I struggle with being too emotional because I identify with the hurt. I stop and pray because that is something know I can do. I can also provide support with some of the same words that most encouraged me.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NIV84)
“You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” (Psalm 56:8 NLT)