Deal Consolingly How can we deal consolingly with our depressed brothers and sisters? Imagine that our depressed brother or sister is a sensitive little kiwifruit dangling from the vine. There it is, hanging in the breeze, exposed to the elements. Our goal is to remove it from the vine and put it in a secure place with lots of good company. The problem is that the kiwifruit is very delicate. If it were yanked roughly, it would leave a nasty open wound. If it were squeezed in the fingers, the delicate hairs would be crushed and the skin would be bruised. And if it were flippantly thrown into the bag, it might explode all over the rest, leaving a sticky mess to clean up. The secret lies in a special technique. First, you need to wear woolen gloves to avoid bruising. Then you cup the fruit in your palm and gently twist it, breaking the stalk with the a minimum of distress. Finally, you place it gently into your harvest bag. Our depressed friends are like a delicate kiwifruit that is fragile yet valuable to the harvester. Is there a special technique whereby we can figuratively cup them in our palm without bruising? (1) Listen carefully. With discerning questions, draw up the feelings of the persons heart. Be quick to listen and slow to reach any conclusions before having the full picture. (2) Show empathy. Fellow feeling should join with tender compassion as you try to identify emotionally with the depressed one. Weep with one who weeps. (3) Be long-suffering. It may take repeated discussions, so be patient. Overlook wild talk that the depressed one may speak because of frustration. (4) Strengthen with words. Help the depressed one to see his or her good qualities. Give specific commendation. Show that problems, past bad experiences, or shortcoming do not determine ones personal worth. Explain why God loves and cares about him or her. Using this technique, we can console the depressed. It wont work for kiwifruit but it will for our Kiwi brothers and sisters.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:32:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015