Family and Friends...

In times of distress the loving shoulders and welcoming arms of family and friends are a great refuge. In our time of need we called and were comforted by the words of prayer and support....But soon the confusion set in.



As we struggled with our decision and waited to hear from God; the 'symphony' of voices from our loved ones seemed to turn into a ‘cacophony’; we were bombarded by so many differing opinions on what we should do. The more we discussed the situation the more depressed we became; each new conversation brought more doubt and distress. Some responses shocked us; some gave us glimmers of hope. It soon became clear that whatever decision we took we would always have someone who disagreed with us, some more convincingly and emphatically than others. A few told us “whatever you decide, we support you…” and refused to give us an answer. As I look back I realize those are the ones I am most grateful to.


I’m still learning from this situation, but a lesson I’m still teasing out in my mind is what role do family and close friends play, in this kind of situation? I suspect that if I had to do it again I would tell … less people, perhaps even nobody…till the decision was made. And maybe then will it be easier for us to hear from God who happens to be the only one with the right answer.