Oftentimes it’s easy to find someone who will give you advice; someone who is willing to lend you their wisdom to “fix” you. It’s much harder to find someone who is willing to really listen to you.

Really listening to someone means not only hearing their words, but hearing the feeling behind the words. It means putting yourself in their shoes in such a way that you can understand something of what they are going through, so that, as the Apostle Paul tells us to do in Galatians, we can “Bear one another’s burdens…” (Gal. 6:2).

Most people feel at least a little uncomfortable when someone else thinks they can quickly understand our problem and fix us. Such an approach says to many that the other person thinks they are so smart and you are so dumb, that they can listen to you for two minutes and solve the problem you have been wrestling with for months, or even years! This is why many people resist going to a counselor. They don’t want someone to make them feel dumb.

While most of us don’t feel we need to have someone “fix” us, nearly all of us, at one time or another feel like we need someone with a listening ear. Someone who will not judge us. Someone who will not imply that we are dumb because we couldn’t figure out the answer to our own problem. Someone who will listen to us, call in the presence of God, and help us find the answers God wants to give us.

If this is your situation, why not call the Bless Me Network? We have many listening ears, and we are eager to call in God’s guidance as we work through your issues together.

Each year we come through Lent and arrive at Easter. The dark days of Holy Week include Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday before the grace and joy of Easter arrive. Walk with me a moment as we look at how these days play out in our lives.

Maundy Thursday: Jesus spent this last night with His disciples. He knew what was to come. A close friend and follower sitting and eating with Him would betray Him and turn Him over to His enemies. His disciples would fail to support Him as He agonized over His coming ordeal and scatter when He was taken. Was there ever a time in His life when He felt more alone, more unsure or more sad? Probably not!

Many of us have felt betrayed, abandoned, unsure of the future, afraid of the coming ordeal and caught up in the drama of the dark night of the soul. Jesus gave us these words of home in John 16:32

“Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” (The Message)

In the next chapter, He continues to pray for His Disciples and for US!

“I’m praying not only for them (the disciples), but also for those who will believe in me, because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— just as You, Father, are in me and I in You, so they might be one heart and mind with Us.” John 17:20-21 (The Message)

When we go through the dark night He goes with us. We are not alone. We have company when things are at their darkest.

Good Friday: On trial for His life and convicted, beaten, mocked, hung on a cross and left to suffocated a long and horrible death. Even on the cross, His concern was for others. He went through this for us – so that we would not have to live without power and love that can lift life from the pit of Hell into the joy of Easter Sunday! Our debt paid by Him so we could be free.

Holy Saturday: The fear and the agony of the disciples was thick on this day. Jesus was dead! All that they had hoped and lived for the last three years was gone! They might be hunted and suffer the same fate! How would they cope without Him? The promises He made them about the outcome were lost in the sorrow and fear of this day.

Easter: Still in fear, but wanting to serve and love Him, Mary Magdelene came with Mary, the mother of James, and Salome to anoint the body. They came early, despite knowing soldiers guarded the tomb and the stone was too heavy to move. They came out of love!

An angel awaited them to share the good news: “He is not Here! He has risen, just as He said.” But it wasn’t enough for Mary. She looked for Him and found Him! He spoke to her and she knew that Voice! Her Master was alive!

She couldn’t wait to share the news with the disciples. She ran to tell them Hope was not dead! He truly had conquered death, hell and the grave.

He is alive for us today. He brings hope and light at the end of our darkest days and night. He promised never to leave us and to provide a Comforter! We need never go through life alone! We have access to His power, love and hope.

Joy can come in the morning! We can emerge victorious! We reach out to Him and allow Him to show us the joy and the hope of an Easter morning.

If you need hope, comfort, someone to walk with you through your darkest days or nights; speak to one of our ministers and allow us to share with you the same love and comfort we ourselves have received. We are only a phone call away!