When We Don't Know What To Say...

Lord, give me sensitivity
To people in their grief and pain,
To weep with them and show Your love
In ways mere words cannot attain. —Sper

'Oh my! What should I say? I seriously don't know what to say!'
These words might flash across our minds whenever we face a delicate situation. A friend might have just told you some terrible news and he/she is in deep grief.
How are we to respond in such a situation? How do we offer comfort?

In the Bible we are told that during Job’s time of grieving, his three friends came to mourn with him and to comfort him. For the first 7 days they sat and wept with him because he was in deep sorrow (Job 2:11-13). "No one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great" (v.13). Their presence alone was a comfort to him. (extracted from OurDailyBread 18 Oct)

Sometimes, we just need to be there for our friends and ask the Lord to give us a heart of compassion for their pain and hurt. We may or may not experience the same plight before, but our Lord has. He alone knows and understands how we truly feel. Though we may not be able to speak from experience to reassure our friends but with God, we are able to speak from love to comfort our friends whenever they need us.
When we don't know what to say...just be still and silent...to listen as a friend and from the Holy Spirit...