Do you remember the times as a child when you fell down and hurt your knee? You would run to your mother, she would put a funny looking plaster strip on it and she would sing.
The pain was gone instantly and all that remained was that deep sense of peace.
It would all be okay.
Fast forward into adulthood.
We try to juggle several things at the same time and fail time and time again.
We meet people along the way, invest in relationships and still have to deal with disappointment.
We need to make decisions, but the fear of an unknown future paralyzes us.
We ask questions, but somehow the darkness doesn’t have any answers.
We watch the news and are overwhelmed with yet another war, another attack, another crisis.
Nothing’s okay.
In the course of life we stumble and we fall down.
Life beats us around and leaves us with deep wounds.
It’s not enough to put some plaster strip on it.
Healing doesn’t come easy.
We could give up.
Hand in the towel and simply despair over the horrible state of the world. Lick our wounds and drown in self-pity.
No, we cannot heal all wounds and make everything better.
But we can find traveling companions who will share our highs and lows.
Who will diminish our grief by sharing it, when listening to us is all they can do.
Who will stretch out their hand and lift us up when we’ve fallen again.
Who will sing truth over us when we’re caught up in life’s lies once more.
Who will give us a hug when we’re in need of healing.
Who will not grow tired of looking and finding the bright and the beautiful in life, no matter how dark the circumstances may be.
Writing for Five Minute Friday today.
thisiskatha.com 
Great post, Katha. Could I add one more attribute to the ‘traveling companions’?
We need to be in the company of dudes who will go down laughing hard and fighting harder, because what’s the good in showing up for a Last Stand if you’re not willing to see the humour of it all?
#1 at FMF.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2016/09/your-dying-spouse-204-soft-side-of-hard.html
Thanks, Andrew! A good sense of humor is always handy…:)
Amen!
Thanks, Tara!
Katha, I LOVED your reference to traveling companions! What a beautiful thing to belong to a community of people who can help each other heal!
“Who will sing truth over us when we’re caught up in life’s lies once more.
Who will give us a hug when we’re in need of healing.
Who will not grow tired of looking and finding the bright and the beautiful in life”
Have a lovely weekend!
Shauna (it’s been a busy Friday, #55 today 🙂
Yes, it’s been busy, that’s why I posted so late…:)
It is true, we need that community to hell, what a blessing that you’ve found one!
So thankful for those who have been this for me. Yes, we need each other, we need the feet, the arms and the hands of the Body around us, showing up…just as we need to do the showing up ourselves…all pressing into each other and Christ. Beautiful words, Katha.
Very good point, Anna! We need to be these things for other people, too! Maybe we have to be that first so that others will respond in the same way. Thanks for reading along!