"How can reaching out for support help me to have joy?"

Today's Precious Prodigal post is at = http://bit.ly/1uK6Uam "How can reaching out for support help me to have joy?" #truefriend #heavyburdens Like what you see? Please "Like" us on Facebook.

Eccl 4:9-10 "Two are better than one…for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow…"

Loving a prodigal is a lonely path under the best of circumstances. There are those family members and “friends” who headed for the hills when our marriages ended or our kids got in trouble. And when people walking away, it felt like another betrayal to a heart that was already broken. That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence or encourage us to reach out to someone else.

Even if our family and friends don’t turn away, they really don’t understand our pain. How could they when everything in their lives seems to be going well? However well-intentioned they are, what advice could they possibly give us that would be helpful if they’ve never been there? So we ourselves are often the ones who stop communicating at a time when we need support the most.

There are several problems with that, not the least of which is we need other people. God never intended for us to be islands unto ourselves. A case in point is that He created Eve because, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18) And in case you’re wondering, it’s not good for the woman to be alone either. That’s especially true if a loved one is acting out and keeping our lives in turmoil.

If people have walked away, we need to let them go because a real friend isn’t going to head for the hills at the first sign of trouble in your life. Real friends are going to “love [you] at all times.” (Prov 17:17) But that doesn’t mean we need to be alone. It only means we need to show wisdom in choosing the people we’re going to trust.

That doesn’t mean a friend will co-sign on our foolishness. A faithful friend will sometimes say things we don’t want to hear…like asking us what our own part was in any conflict. Although their gentle words may sometimes hurt, we can trust that those words were said in love and with our best interest in mind. A true friend, like iron sharpening iron, is going to challenge us to be better than what we are. (Prov 27:17)

Scripture tells us to "bear one another's burdens..." (Gal 6:2), and you are probably already doing that with the hurts and burdens of others. But what about the burdens you’re trying to carry all by yourself? That word translated burdens in Galatians 6:2 is “baros,” and it doesn’t mean a knapsack. It’s the kind of burden that is a heavy, crushing load…much more than we can possibly carry by ourselves.

I know the Lord walks with us through every trial. But there are times when we need flesh and blood arms wrapped around us, a human shoulder to cry on, and a gentle voice reminding us we can do this just for today. Reaching out for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. And if we choose not to reach out, we shouldn’t be surprised if we’ve lost our joy.

Challenge for Today: What might happen if, just for today, we picked up that 500 pound phone and reached out for help?