Fairly Tumultuous

Over the last few weeks, I have been helping with a Bible study at my local church for people exploring Christianity. Ironically, the one American attending the study was randomly assigned to my group. Susan is in many ways an embarrassing American stereotype. She is a bit loud, a bit abrasive and a bit more familiar than Brits are comfortable with. Shamefully, tonight (our fourth week) was the first time I really spoke with her.

We were making friendly small talk about her family and work, then somehow we began talking about her personal life. And she told me the story of how after 4 daughters and 20 years of marriage her husband had left her for a younger woman. She very casually described that period of her life as "fairly tumultuous". I responded that tumultuous must be a rather mild description of it. And then she said one of the saddest things I have ever heard.

She said that in four and a half years, that was the most sympathetic thing anyone has said to her about the dissolution of her family.

I couldn't help but fight back tears as I looked at this woman, so broken and hurting with no one to embody Christ's compassion in her life. And I thought of how wrong that is, how God's heart must break when he sees her living her life so alone.

I believe that as Christians our role in the world is to be agents of restoration. That we are to be God's hands in healing brokenness and showing mercy. But as I sat and listened to Susan's very real pain, I was challenged afresh by how incapable I am of accomplishing that on my own.