Broken People, Listening Ears

I had a moment over the weekend of deep emotional impact. I was driving with a friend to Mother’s Day brunch. I started talking about my mom. She has been dead now for 20 years. As I shared with my friend the story of my mom’s brokenness I began to get in touch with some deep emotional pain that I haven’t ever processed.

There were moments as we talked that I thought that if I tapped in to that pain hard enough, that a dam would break and a wellspring of healing tears would come. I knew in that moment that there is a moment of healing coming for me in the near future. As we drove along it wasn’t the time or the place for that catharsis, but a glimpse of it’s nearness gave me a lot of encouragement.

We all come from a story of brokenness and redemption. The cry of the human heart is for the compassionate and listening ear of a friend. Slowing down to listen to the heart of one another is an important step in the healing process. How amazing it is that God always bends such an ear toward us. It helps if our brothers and sisters are nearby. But knowing that God is there for us is one of the amazing benefits of following Jesus.