Musing – Is ‘just being there’ a ministry?

Hebraic Musing – Is ‘just being there’ a ministry?

"Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was." —Job 2:13

This verse reminds me of the story/lesson Arliss Freeman, my Escondido pastor’s wife, told years ago. Here is how I remember it: Little Mary was two hours late coming home from school and her mother was obviously upset, concerned and ready to discipline Mary. So her mother started the discipline process by asking “Why were you so late, what kept you?”  Mary responded “I stopped at my friend Suzy’s house and Suzy’s favorite doll was broken. We tried and tried to fix it but couldn’t. So I just sat with Suzy and her broken doll and we cried together.” 

Having gone through the funeral process for my wife of 52 years, I can vividly relate to the ministry my family and I received recently from all the friends that came by our side. Many tried to say things of sympathy, humor, wit, empathy, etc.  All I remember is that they were there. ‘Just being there’ was the best ministry we received.

A neighbor, retired pastor and chaplain at our hospital shared that his ministry was sitting with the family in the Surgery waiting room with the family members while patient was in OR (Operating Room). He did not have any set prayer; he felt his ministry was ‘just being there’ with the family.

Worthy of note – traditional Jewish mourning custom is to ‘sit shiva’; which basically means to go through a seven (shiva) day period of mourning with the family – just being there.

In High School, our group had a favorite, catchy, smart-alec question – “Are you unafraid of a conversational pause?”

Thank you friends for ‘just being there’ during our period of grieving.

Point to ponder

Why do we feel we have to say something
when the other person is thankful that we are ‘just being there’?

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                                 June 26, 2012

Author “Hebraic Insights – messages exploring the Hebrew Roots of Christian faith”

Author “Biblical Marriage” (published  June 2012)

Weekly e-mails “Hebraic Musings” blogging available at  www.InsightsByYosef.com
To be added to distribution -- Yosef1@cox.net