We attend a weekly bible study group. The goal of the group is to listen to the gospel reading for that week and to discuss how to make that message relevant in our lives. The group has been together for about 6 months and members tend to share some of their personal struggles but not particularly in depth.
There is a woman member of the group who has not shared much. She is always very nicely dressed, talks about the careers of those close to her, and I had formed an opinion of her as having had a pretty comfortable life. However yesterday she shared in depth the journey of her grandson and his struggles with alcohol, drugs, anger, homelessness etc. She has been intensely involved in attempting to support him. She calls herself an "enabler" and also knows that she does those things in love and what feels like the "right" thing to do.
Though we have all heard this story many times, I was again struck by how little we know of other people's real stories. It's not until there is a safe place for people to share that we really know what goes on in their lives. These moments of intimate sharing are a real gift. We know a person on a whole new level.
I believe we are all searching for relationships like this. So much of our lives are skimming the surface. We long for a safe place where people listen to our stories; where we know we will not be judged. We also long to hear other people's stories---to have a shared bond of trust. And to have that in a small group is a real blessing. This woman and I may never be one on one best friends, but her risking to tell her story changes my sense of her and strengthens the group.
The gospel reading was about Christ being the light. Sharing our stories in a safe place shines a light.
I pray you have a safe place to share your story and struggles.
You always have that safe place in your relationship with God. He always listens. He is eager to hear you.
Blessings-Penny
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