I liked this thought:
Truthfully, no person can share a message of hope unless he or she has first suffered. When we are hurting, we seek comfort from people who have faced similar hurt. Likewise, others will trust our comfort if we have known pain.
Today I sat with someone who had been through a divorce. They didn't see it coming. If they had known "I would have done something different."
I realized that I was at a loss as to how to support this person. In my mind, you don't want to wait until there is a problem to do something different. So I would be inclined to say "You blew it." On the other side, I don't know how difficult the situation was, how invested this person was in the other activities trying to hold everything together; thinking all the while that the strength in the situation was the marriage. How devastating that could be!
So I find myself saying nothing. I have no leg to stand on. No perspective that brings light to the situation. All I can do is be there to help going forward.
How different is it when you can say, "Yeah - I had my wife walk out on me. You know what I learned? You can't wait until there is a problem to do something different."
God definitely has plans for our lives. I have been so blessed. I don't want to take away from that. But sometimes I know I need some hardship in order to minister more effectively.
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