Song: ”I’ll Be There“ by Gabriela Bee

Scripture focus: Galatians 6:2; John 19:25–27; James 1:19

Good morning, and welcome to “Starting Our Day Together: A Few Minutes To Get The Day Started In The right Direction”

Last week, I went to see a movie called Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

It was a thought-provoking film that stayed with me after I left the theater.

Without giving away the whole story, the film presents a father facing a heartbreaking loss while trying to care for his children.

And as I reflected on what I had seen, a question came to my mind: When the people we love need us most, are we prepared to become the person they need us to be?

Take a moment and think about that.

When a husband or wife is grieving, are we prepared to sit with their pain?

When a child is frightened, are we prepared to offer reassurance?

When a parent begins to need help, are we prepared to be patient?

When a friend is struggling, are we prepared to listen even when we don’t have an answer?

Love can call us into unfamiliar territory.

And sometimes, the person we have been must grow into the person this moment requires.

Love Pays Attention

Our first lesson is this: Love pays attention.

In Galatians 6:2, the apostle Paul writes: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Before I can help bear your burden, I have to notice that you’re carrying one. And that isn’t always easy.

Some people are very good at saying, “I’m fine,” when they are anything but fine.

They keep going to work.

They keep showing up at church.

They keep smiling.

They may even be the ones encouraging everybody else.

But beneath that smile, they may be exhausted, afraid, lonely, or grieving.

Sometimes we assume that because a person is strong, they don’t need support.

But strong people get tired too.

Faithful people hurt too.

And the person who usually takes care of everybody else may be wondering whether anybody sees what they are carrying.

We need to pay attention, not just to what people say, but also to what may be going unsaid.

That doesn’t mean we can read minds.

It means we make room to ask a question and listen to the answer.

“We might say, “You’ve been on my heart.

“How are you really doing?”

“I’ve noticed you seem to have a lot on you. Is there a way I can help?”

Then we need to be willing to listen without rushing to fix everything.

Love Listens Before It Assumes

That brings us to the second lesson: The support someone needs may be different from the support we naturally want to give.

James 1:19, tells us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Many of us love people by trying to solve their problems.

And there is nothing wrong with wanting to help.

But sometimes, before a person needs our solution, they need our attention.

Imagine that someone you love has had a difficult day.

They begin to share what happened, and before they can finish, you say, “Here’s what you need to do.”

You may be offering good advice.

But what they needed first was to know that you heard them.

At another time, that same person may need more than a listening ear.

They may need a ride to an appointment, help with a meal, someone to sit with the children, or assistance in finding professional care.

The point is that we don’t have to guess.

We can ask: “What would be most helpful to you right now?”

And if they don’t know, we can offer something specific: “I’m going to the grocery store.

Can I pick up a few things for you?” Or, “Would it help if I sat with you for a while?”

 Listening is an act of love.

And sometimes the most comforting words we can say are, “I’m here. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Love Is Willing to Change

The third lesson is this: Love must be willing to grow.

We all have ways of responding that feel natural to us.

Some of us are planners. Some are problem solvers.

Some are comfortable talking about feelings, and others would rather get busy doing something practical.

But a difficult season may call us to develop a part of ourselves we haven’t used very much.

A father may need to learn how to talk tenderly with a grieving child.

An adult son or daughter may need to learn how to care for a parent who once cared for them.

A spouse may need to slow down and listen instead of assuming everything will work itself out.

That kind of growth can feel uncomfortable.

We might say, “That’s just not who I am.”

But perhaps a better question is, “Lord, who are You calling me to become?”

Becoming the person someone, needs does not mean pretending to be somebody else.

It means allowing God to work in us, teaching us patience where we have been impatient, tenderness where we have been guarded, and courage where we have been afraid.

We may not get it right the first time.

We may say the wrong thing.

We may miss a need that seems obvious later.

When that happens, we can acknowledge it.

We can apologize.

We can ask how to do better.

And we can keep showing up.

Jesus Saw a Need, Even in His Own Suffering

John 19:25-27, we see a powerful example of love paying attention.

Jesus is on the cross.

He is suffering.

And yet, He sees His mother standing nearby, along with the disciple whom

 He loved.

Jesus speaks to them and entrusts His mother’s care to that disciple.

Think about that for a moment.

Even in His own suffering, Jesus recognized that His mother would need care.

And He made sure she was not left alone.

There is something beautiful in that picture.

Jesus did not treat caring for His mother as a distraction from His spiritual mission.

In that moment, He demonstrated love through a specific act of care.

We can follow that example in everyday ways.

We can notice who may need support.

We can make a phone call.

We can help arrange a meal.

We can check on someone after the visitors have gone home and the house has become quiet.

And we can remember that sometimes love means helping connect a person with others who can care for them too.

You Don’t Have to Carry It All Alone

Now, I want to say something to the person who is already doing everything you know how to do for somebody you love.

You may be a caregiver.

You may be supporting a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, or another family member.

And you may be tired.

Please hear me: Being there for someone does not mean you have to do everything by yourself.

Even in the passage we just discussed, Jesus entrusted His mother’s care to another person.

There is no shame in asking for help.

You may need to reach out to family, your church community, a doctor, a counselor, or a caregiver support organization.

You may need a few hours of rest.

You may need someone to listen to you.

Asking for help is not a failure of love.

It can be one of the ways we continue to love faithfully.

And if you’re the one receiving help today, please know that needing support does not make you a burden.

We all need somebody at different times in our lives.

God never intended for us to walk through every difficult season alone.

A Question for Today

So, let’s return to the question: When the people we love need us most, are we prepared to become the person they need us to be?

We may not be fully prepared for every situation that comes.

Some moments arrive without warning.

But with God’s help, we can be willing to learn.

We can pay attention.

We can listen.

We can make room to grow.

And we can ask others to walk alongside us.

As you go through this day, I want to encourage you to think of one person who may need your care.

Ask God to help you see them clearly.

Then reach out and ask a simple question: “How can I support you?”

And if you’re the one who needs support, consider telling someone you trust what you’re carrying.

You don’t have to find all the answers before you ask for help.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father,

                Thank You for loving us with a love that sees us, hears us, and remains with us.

Lord, open our eyes to the needs of the people You have placed in our lives. Help us to listen with patience and respond with compassion. When love calls us into unfamiliar places, give us the humility to learn and the courage to grow.

Forgive us for the times we have been too busy to notice or too quick to speak. Teach us how to offer the kind of care that truly helps.

Father, we lift up those who are grieving, those who are afraid, and those who feel alone. Surround them with people who will walk beside them. And for every caregiver who is tired today, provide strength, rest, and practical help.

Help each of us remember that it is all right to ask for support and that we do not have to carry our burdens alone.

Make us more like Christ in the way we love.

In Jesus’ name we pray.  

Amen.

Remember this is another day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it…God bless you, and have a wonderful day.