When a friend is grieving she needs your empathy, your presence, your prayers.
Naomi: “Go back!”
Ruth: “I will come.”
Naomi: “I am hopeless.”
Ruth: “I will carry your burden.”
Naomi: “I am bitter.”
Ruth: “Let’s walk together. Your God is my God.”
You can read the story of these two dear friends in the Old Testament book of Ruth. Both are widows. Both know deep pain. As they journey on foot from Moab to Jerusalem, I imagine Noami, the elder, spoke hard things. Ruth, I suspect, listened and empathized. She understood deep emotional pain.
When I interviewed Dee Brestin, author of the classic The Friendships of Women, on my radio show, she mentioned the several grief-producing Ds, including:
death
divorce
disease
Can you think of another D?
How about “distance”? When you or I move away from family and friends, or they move away from us, we experience loss and the resulting emotions.
3 ways to empathize with a friend in grief:
1. Listen well.
2. Be patient.
3. Offer specific help. Example: Say, “I’ll bring over dinner this week. Is Tuesday or Thursday best for you?” Or, “I’d love to help with the kids. May I take them to the park on Monday afternoon?”
What else would you add to this list?
You can listen to Dee’s warm insights on friendship at my radio page. Click here.
You Are Blessed!
