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Would anybody mind sharing some of the things others said or did for you that gave you help and/or encouragement? I am particularly interested in what was most helpful and effective from brothers and sisters in Christ who you knew but were not already particularly close to.
To give a little background, I don’t know too many details about the current state of her marriage, although the indication I get from social media posts is that things are bad. I know there have been problems for a while. While I have offered more vague or general encouragement in the past, I feel convicted to step up and do more, especially because I have concerns about her spiritual strength. (Her husband has already fallen away from the Lord.) My anxiety has been a barrier for me reaching out in the past, but I don’t want to let my fear of not doing it completely right keep me from potentially helping a sister in Christ anymore. I would appreciate any advice anybody here might be able to offer, though.
Meeting people where they are at is helpful. Just asking her how she is doing, acknowledging the posts possibly, asking her what she needs, or what might be helpful is encouraging. Offering a listening ear and prayers are comforting. I have one example, in particular, when my husband and I were at a workshop, getting help, and someone asked me a bit about our story. I walked away feeling terrible. I was having a “good” day and she proceeded to respond in a way that was not helpful. She responded in a very dramatic way and was saying things like that must have been like a knife in my stomach etc.
If you are concerned about your sister in Christ and her spiritual well-being, maybe you want to ask or say more, but I would try to build a trusting loving relationship with her, too.Meeting people where they are at is helpful. Just asking her how she is doing, acknowledging the posts possibly, asking her what she needs, or what might be helpful is encouraging. Offering a listening ear and prayers are comforting. I have one example, in particular, when my husband and I were at a workshop, getting help, and someone asked me a bit about our story. I walked away feeling terrible. I was having a “good” day and she proceeded to respond in a way that was not helpful. She responded in a very dramatic way and was saying things like that must have been like a knife in my stomach etc.
If you are concerned about your sister in Christ and her spiritual well-being, maybe you want to ask or say more, but I would try to build a trusting loving relationship with her, too.Thank you for the advice! I am going to look for small ways (to start off with) that I can reach out and make a connection with her, maybe a card acknowledging the posts, offering prayer, and extending my desire to be a help and support. And I appreciate you sharing that example with me. That is definitely the kind of approach I want to avoid!
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