The Importance of Being There
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.—ISAIAH 50:4 NIV
Sometimes, when you’re with the person you provide care for, it’s hard to find the right words to say. Our conversations often revolve around to-do lists, people to see, and places to go. These are hardly the most important subjects we could be discussing.
Other relatives and friends may stay away because they don’t know what to say. We’re the caregivers, though. We can’t stay away. So how can we speak in a way that encourages? By asking God in prayer to give us the words to say, drawing on His wisdom and power, instead of our own.
He may call us to read His Word, sing a hymn, or pray with the person. I love you are three little words that speak volumes. And then there are times when the best way to communicate is to actually be silent—and to listen to what the other person wants to say to us.
The right words can be uplifting and comforting to the person we care for. With God’s direction, we’ll be able to say just what our loved one needs. Or simply listen attentively—with our ears and with our hearts.
Dear God, I needn’t worry about what to say if I’ve spoken to You first. Give me the words that will express Your love to the person I’m caring for. And if I am to remain silent, help me to listen—with my ears and my heart.
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.—Proverbs 19:8 (NIV)