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My friend moved away, and we lost track of each other.

When my friend moved back, she moved to the other side of town. After many delays, we met for lunch at a halfway point so that each of us only had to drive forty minutes. After we were seated and sipping our iced tea, I asked, “How are you doing?” Her “fine” didn’t sound fine at all.

My friend’s voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. I knew something was wrong. As she began to spell out a difficult situation in their family, she also shared how she hadn’t told anyone. She was afraid of what others would think.

She admitted that holding her situation in made the stress harder to bear, but finally realized she needed to open up and talk. “When we don’t share our burdens, we end up adding burden to burden,” she said.

Not sharing our burdens with others because we think it is too much for them to handle adds a new burden to our existing burden. God made His family to come alongside hurting people and help them through the hard times.

A part of God’s plan is to carry us through the difficult times and out of the valley. Our friends help us carry life’s burdens so we don’t have to face them alone.

My friend thanked me for being a safe place to unload her burden, and I said it was the least I could do. I assured her I would pray for her family. She relaxed and began eating and enjoying our time together. Her burden felt lighter since she had shared it with a friend.

Be willing to listen to those who need to share a burden. 

(Photo courtesy of author.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)