You Never Know

My wife and I have had a rough couple of weeks.  Both of our work at the church, for me, and the hospital, for Eunkyung, has been very demanding.  Nothing bad happened, but mostly, what we have been exposed to is the fact that we never know what people may be going through.

I think we often put up a positive face in front of people but inside we could be hurting, depressed, or just fighting “demons.”  The past couple of weeks Eunkyung and have reached out to people that by appearance look nice and happy, and proper, but then realizing that they are really going through some tough stuff. 

Now just to give a heads up, Eunkyung meets a ton of people at her workplace, and in my workplace, it not just includes my local church, but also the greater Presbyterian church as well.  I meet a lot of people during my week, not just locally, but also committees from the Presbytery and also Synod level as well. 

But the past couple of weeks made me realize that just because someone’s outside appearance looks ready, proper, and it looks like they have their entire life in perfect order; may not be the case.  In the inside they could be going through a lot that the outside can’t tell.
Now, I think this is important, that we don’t need to probe people in how they are truly doing, but I think it is important to always stay connected.  Always be natural, and always be caring to one another.  I do not think it is important that we need to force the other to tell us what is ailing them.  But it is important to be present with them. 

Never present yourself to be judgmental, sarcastic, or uncaring to other people.  Be the person that others want to be around because of trustworthiness.  We never know what other people go through, hence the importance of having the right attitude and character with others. 

And if you are the person that is going through pain and hurt.  Just remember you have the right to feel what you want to feel.  And you also have the right to present yourself to the world any which way you want.  Nobody can tell you how you are supposed to feel, and nobody can tell you how you must act in front of other people.  But also know that there are people in the world that you can talk to and trust.  I encourage you to find that person and be with that person. 

Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.  And continue to be strong and proud of who you are.  Always remember that God loves you very much, not matter what you are going through and what you are doing.  God loves you.

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