Jesus Wept

Dee Henderson had one of her characters say that those were some of the most comforting words in the Bible. Jesus cried. He sorrowed when His friends did. He cared.

I think He was crying with us over all the could-have-been's when we walked into a home that I dread going to anymore. The woman had been young, beautiful, outgoing, quick to cry and quick to laugh when we met her. The other evening when she roused to meet us her face was swollen beyond recognition. Half-dried blood was caked at the corner of her lips and spotted her clothes. It was an effort to talk; she could barely swallow the ibuprofen we left her. She had been attacked by her companion, again. She didn't cry at all. She sat quietly. This scene was the result of her and her companion's choices. We didn't sleep much that night. I think Jesus cried . . . even though local officials showed no concern about her condition.

I think He was crying with our neighbors when we came home. This particular neighbor is the one who suggested we buy the house we live in. He often came to borrow tools. This winter his van hasn't wanted to start so he has called Dave at 5:30 in the morning to pull it until he could slip the clutch and start it that way. He worked hard to take care of his wife and two boys. But this time he was at the river, drinking with friends. He fell in and didn't make it back out. "It was just so unexpected!" his wife brokenly expressed. "He wasn't sick or anything!"

But Jesus came to bring comfort to the sorrowing. Please pray for us as we try to minister to our neighbors. Please pray that the officials will act quickly and justly in the first situation.