Three weeks ago, I did the Way of the Cross after X number of years of not doing it. As I was going through each station in meditation and prayer, I was reminded that although the Lord gives us our own crosses to bear, He loves us too much just to leave us alone. While this is a given already, there are times when I question if He’s really there because I’m so engrossed in the things that weigh me down. When I’m in the thick of my problems, I fail to recognize Him and I think that’s why He sends people I can talk to and interact with in His place to help me out.
He sends me my personal Simons of Cyrene to help me carry my burdens – whether it’s through the physical act of carrying something when transporting things to events, sharing in the work load to make it easier on me, or by listening to me and alleviating my concerns. These are also the people who make me smile and laugh and in that moment, make me forget what I’m going through. They are the people I can have fun with; those who distract me in a good way so that for a few minutes, I need not think of the things that make me worry.
He sends Veronicas to me too. While they do not my wipe my face literally, they do provide comfort and clarity amidst the confusion and doubt I face. These are the people I can talk to – those who give me advice and a new way of looking at what I’m going through to give me hope instead of feeling despair. They are the ones who help me focus; those who centre me back on Christ again.
He also sends me people who show me that vulnerability is not frowned upon but rather, encouraged. Also known as the Weeping Women. They show me it’s okay to cry and that I don’t have to be tough all the time. Through these people, I’m reminded that there will be times in service / mission where it may be too much to handle. And when this happens, we need not keep it all to ourselves – we are free to tell another person so that they may comfort us. These are the people who may be going through even tougher times than I am and they show me that what I have on my plate is not so bad after all.
Similar to how Jesus encountered these people as He was carrying His cross, I don’t get them all at the same time. Truly the Lord knows who to send at the right time to comfort and help me. For them, I am grateful. My prayer is to make me (and everyone else) more attuned to these people so that I don’t have to go through everything by myself. The Lord is so great. Even when we think we’re alone and we forget that He’s always with us, He doesn’t leave us to our own sorrows. Rather, He sends tangible people – people we can touch and call and text to reaffirm us of the Lord’s love for us. 🙂