Monday, October 23, 2017

Ungracious Response To Your Own Question

She looked at me and said, “Oh get over it. God’s got you.”

Because of this I didn’t post for awhile. It was a weird exchange. One that made me want to respond in a very non Christ manner. A moment of pause later, and I simply smiled and said, “That’s why I’m taking the steps forward.”

It’s not that I don’t know that God has me. That’s not the issue at all. It’s that life leaves emotional scares. I hadn’t been walking around crying or bemoaning my life. In fact I was just walking through the halls being “OK.”   She stopped me. This woman I’ve known for years and who knew my story. She asked me, “How you doing?”  I paused for a moment and said, “Ah well..”  Before I could continue she responded, “Oh get over it. God’s got you.”

Get over it?

The reason I bring it up is because this seems to be a trend.  Lot’s of good people asking others how they are, only to turn on them for responding in a less then the socially acceptable way.  The interesting thing is that I was going to tell her that things were rough, but I knew God would guide me through it. Instead of that exchange I was left feeling a greater distanced from the body of Christ. 

So maybe it’s time to clarify for all of us. Telling people in passing to, “Get over it,”  is not the encouragement that we are to offer. You have effectively told the person that their hurt or pain is not valid. You are saying that you are not a safe person to share with, and worse yet, you are telling them that you either don’t really care; or you don’t have the emotional maturity to deal with their hurt.

Now if you and I are sitting together and you lean over and say, “Hey I want to help you get past this. God has you.”   Well that’s a bridge of encouragement to a person stranded on an island of hurt. 

One exchange helps. One exchange hurts. This exchange made me feel like I just shouldn’t respond to things for awhile.

Speaking to the idea of "God's got you."
Psalms 91:1-2 says, He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

If you are hurting remember God will hold you through the pain and into the healing process.

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