Batter up...catcher down...

"Some people are hurting so bad you have to do more than preach a message to them. You have to BE a message to them."  (Twitter quote)

It was a warm Sunday afternoon during my childhood.  With five children, including four sons, my parents wisely played some type of family game each week.   Whether we played softball, football or other games, one specific Sunday afternoon remains unforgettable.

Except for tennis, I did not do well in sports.  Sunday afternoon games were fun but I would much rather have been riding horseback or playing piano.  Being left-handed in softball didn't help like it did when playing tennis.  If I hit the softball...well...let's just say first base was its usual direction.  However, I could wear a catcher's mitt and catch softballs slightly better. This particular Sunday, I stood behind the batter as the appointed catcher.  I was quite content until...it happened.  I don't remember who was batting.  Yet when that bat was swung...it kept on swinging...right into my abdomen.  To this day, I vividly recall those terrifying moments on the ground, gasping and wondering if I would ever breathe again.  I remember the soothing response of my parents, kneeling down beside me, keeping me calm...giving me hope.  Finally, I was able to breathe again.  I courageously returned to my sacrificial catcher position...only to soon become the recipient of a bat swinging across my forehead.  That definitely ended my catcher career.

Most of us have had the breath knocked out of us literally and/or figuratively.  It's frightening and painful as seconds seem like hours as we attempt to recover.  Reflecting on how my parents handled the bat injuries to my abdomen and head that memorable day, I realize something very important.  They didn't order me to breathe or regain consciousness.  They didn't preach at me about the need to recover.  They didn't condemn, criticize, degrade or ignore me.  Their calm, supportive and concerned presence shared necessary peace and assurance.  They consistently cared...genuinely loved...and never left my side. 

Much too often, I have witnessed...and experienced..."preached messages" to someone physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually lying on the ground, gasping for breath. It deepens pain and widens wounds.  Yet I thank God for precious, dear, genuine friends who LIVE the message of love, truth and hope and care enough to stay by the sides of the hurting. They never walk away. Their consistent, compassionate and Christ-centered love promotes peace, hope and healing.

May His message be shared through our actions more than words. People don't care what we know until they know that we care.♥~thl    (Romans 12:  15>18)