Pain, Hope, & Real Friends...

I've come to the conclusion that far too often it is harder to watch those you love deal with pain and hurt than it is to deal with it yourself. I think that watching those who are closest to your heart being hurt and belittled may be actually more painful to you than actually being hurt yourself. And I have come to another conclusion along this same path: Some of the most hurtful, rude, mean, abrasive, condescending, pain-causing people claim the name of the Savior I serve. Why is it that so many people who are in the church are so mean-spirited and hurtful? Is it because they are trying to hide a pain of their own? Is it because they have issues allowing God to control them instead of controling others? Is it because they so much love the rules and checklists of their "church religion" that they fail to see the love of God that motivates those types of obedience? I'm not sure. But I do know one thing: I am sick of it. I am sick of people who claim to belong to Jesus yet behave nothing like Him. I am tired of those who use their mouths to sing praise to my King on Sunday and then with the same mouth sow seeds of slander and deceipt on Monday. I am weary of dealing with people who act one way to your face and another to your back. I'm sick of talking to non-believers about my faith and the joy and grace of being a Christ-follower only to learn that they have been deeply hurt by people who claim to believe and follow after my Jesus. And I know this: Jesus came for hope, not hurt. And anyone who is an agent of hurt is not doing the business of Jesus, but rather of his enemy. So I take hope in the fact that those who love Him look like Him. Those who are my brothers and sisters act like Him. Those who hope in the Lord become agents of His hope. And in the midst of pain, hurt, struggle, and in watching those we love deal with those things as well, our hope is found not in the high expectations we should be able to have on people who claim to follow Him or even in those who teach and lead us in His ways. Our hope is found in Him. It reminds me of a song that Third Day sings that I absolutely love. It's called Cry Out To Jesus:

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who struggles with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

When all those around us disappoint us. When people who should act like Jesus don't. When those who should love us unconditionally and regardless of our merit cause us hurt and pain, there is hope. And we cry out to Jesus.

And while I am thinking about Third Day Songs, I am reminded of another song these past few days because of some great friends that we have. Those of you who have been there to support us and to hear us vent and to be our shoulder and to show us the love of Jesus in real and practical ways: a drive from work to a funeral, a phone call, an offer to come do stuff at the house, a myspace message that simply says "hang in there": Thank You. These lyrics (again by Third Day...crazy) remind me of you:

When the rain comes it seems that everyone has
gone away
When the night falls you wonder if you shouldn't
find someplace
To run and hide / Escape the pain
But hiding's such a lonely thing to do

I can't stop the rain / From falling down on you again
I can't stop the rain / But I will hold you 'til it goes away