Counter Culture: Teach One Another — Wednesday
Matthew 11:29-30
”Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (NLT)
I’ve had the opportunity to facilitate two GriefShare groups at Southland. The first time I hosted a group, my wife, Beth, and I were grieving the loss of her parents. Both had passed within months of each other due to cancer. As the time to start the group got closer, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Pastors are not always given much in the way of training when it comes to grief care, so I was a little apprehensive that I might be getting in over my head. At that first GriefShare group was a woman whose son had gone missing for a time and was later found deceased. Another family was dealing with suicide. A young couple was grieving the loss of a baby. And a young woman had lost her sister. Admittedly, the group was uncomfortable at first as we were all getting to know each other, and sharing our stories of loss.
The second round of GriefShare I facilitated was a much larger group, and at least two people just weren’t as ready to wade into their grief as they thought they were. They ended up leaving the group. The learning for me was that everyone grieves in different ways and at their own pace. And that’s okay. But with each passing week, those in the group became more familiar with each other, and as we were guided by the GriefShare curriculum, we were all learning from each other and growing.
I also heard a story recently about our DivorceCare group. A newly divorced woman decided to attend. As she entered the room, she was overcome with emotion. She tearfully told one of the DivorceCare facilitators, “I don’t want to be here.” Very gently, the facilitator said, “Neither did I when I first came. Come on in and let’s talk.” The woman ended up staying.
These stories are proof that we all have something to teach each other out of our experiences. Culture says just to find the answers within ourselves. Jesus says to share the burden with Him as we’re sharing it with each other. Reach out to me if you’d like to learn more about GriefShare and DivorceCare.
Wednesday’s Reflection
There’s an experience you’ve had that might help someone else along the way. Are you willing to share it?
