Come and sit with me a minute.

Take off your shoes, if you want. Or your coat. Or your pretentions. Because we’re all the same here.

I know. I know you’ve been carrying a load. I know there’s hurt. Or anxiety. Or worry. Whatever fancy word you want to call it, it’s there. It feels heavy. It feels hard. And it doesn’t feel like it’s leaving any time soon.

I’ve looked around this room before. I’ve looked at each person and had to look away, because I remember. I remember when my friends lost their son unexpectedly. I remember when the lady in front of me lost her husband of more than 50 years. I know the days when my friends visit their son in prison, and the heartache that surrounds such an ordeal. And each face, each smile, each heart, they hold a story. Everyone I know, including you, carries burdens. Heavy weights. Hardships that almost pull you down. Things that make you cry when you think no one is looking. . . Or worse, no one cares.

But, I do. I care. Because I feel it too. We’re the same, you and me. We both bleed. And cry. And laugh. We have hearts, and without them we cease to exist. Those same hearts can explode with joy or be broken from deep pain. They can palpitate with anxiety and fear. They can be stilled and still be.

So, come. Sit. Stay a while. Listen. Relax. Rest. Let your burdens be lifted, even for a minute, by the heart of another. Let’s carry these loads together. Trust. Trust another to help you. To help you heal. To be there. To listen. To hold your hand. I want you to hear something. You will get through this. You will overcome. You will make it. You have so far. You have gotten through 100% of your hardest days. You will get through many more. Believe it. I am proud of you. I care for you. You are loved. You will make it. Rest.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

“Be still and know.”

“Be still.”

“Be.”

Psalm 46:10