Sometimes I wish I could be in charge of what is taught in Cemetery. You know, the place where people go to learn how to be preachers and ministers.
I remember the time a lady came up to me at the close of our Worship Service. (We still do an altar call on Sunday Morning, and people can come forward to kneel and pray, or talk to me, or ask to join the Church, or whatever)
Well, this lady came forward, tears running down her cheeks, and I asked her "how can I help you?". (I DID learn that part in Cemetery)
To my surprise, she choked back her first attempts at speaking, then burst forth with "I'm afraid of the dark".
I don't remember ANY classes or professors teaching me how to respond to that. I was dumbfounded. Speechless. While I was trying to think of something to say, my mouth opened, and words came out --- "That really bothers you, doesn't it". (It was simply my attempt to stall, and try to think up something ministerial to say)
Immediately, however, after I said that, her eyes opened real big, she brightened up, and she declared "YOU UNDERSTAND!!!!"
Quite honestly, I didn't understand at all, but SHE thought I did! And it gave her hope. And it occurred to me that she was simply looking for somebody who would acknowledge that, FOR HER, it was a HUGE PROBLEM.
By that time, I regained my senses, recognized what was happening, and offered to pray with her, giving her some wisdom about Jesus being the Light of the World. It actually made a huge difference in her life. She told me several times, subsequent to that, that it really really helped her, and she was doing much better.
Ever since then, I have come to the point where I don't actually have to UNDERSTAND how somebody is troubled by whatever it is they are feeling --- I just have to understand that it's a REAL problem for THEM.
I would make sure we got that across in Cemetery.
I remember the time a lady came up to me at the close of our Worship Service. (We still do an altar call on Sunday Morning, and people can come forward to kneel and pray, or talk to me, or ask to join the Church, or whatever)
Well, this lady came forward, tears running down her cheeks, and I asked her "how can I help you?". (I DID learn that part in Cemetery)
To my surprise, she choked back her first attempts at speaking, then burst forth with "I'm afraid of the dark".
I don't remember ANY classes or professors teaching me how to respond to that. I was dumbfounded. Speechless. While I was trying to think of something to say, my mouth opened, and words came out --- "That really bothers you, doesn't it". (It was simply my attempt to stall, and try to think up something ministerial to say)
Immediately, however, after I said that, her eyes opened real big, she brightened up, and she declared "YOU UNDERSTAND!!!!"
Quite honestly, I didn't understand at all, but SHE thought I did! And it gave her hope. And it occurred to me that she was simply looking for somebody who would acknowledge that, FOR HER, it was a HUGE PROBLEM.
By that time, I regained my senses, recognized what was happening, and offered to pray with her, giving her some wisdom about Jesus being the Light of the World. It actually made a huge difference in her life. She told me several times, subsequent to that, that it really really helped her, and she was doing much better.
Ever since then, I have come to the point where I don't actually have to UNDERSTAND how somebody is troubled by whatever it is they are feeling --- I just have to understand that it's a REAL problem for THEM.
I would make sure we got that across in Cemetery.
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