Have you ever thought about all of the people sharing your experience at any given time? Our family lost a loved one recently. I checked the statistics. I found that 159,012 people shared our son’s experience on September 23 (actually it was a per-day statistic for 2007 but each year seems to rise). With an average family of 4.1 worldwide that would mean that about 650,000 people shared our experience on September 23, 2008. The people who have been added to this grieving club in the past three weeks has swollen to include more than 12,000,000 (that’s 12 million) people. In other words, we are not alone.
But, that is the same with whatever your experience has been this week. Have you been depressed, discouraged, experiencing a damaged relationship, rewarded financially for good work, blessed with a new child, informed you have cancer, engaged, divorced, born again, or out of a job? There are thousands, perhaps millions, who share your experience. There are likely at least hundreds in your area who are mirroring your blessing or frustration this very day. The bottom line is that many people have an experience to share or from which to recover. And, we potentially walk by them unnoticed or they unnoticed to us.
But, their blessings need to be celebrated with someone. Their burdens need bearing by someone. It is unfortunate that many cannot see beyond their own pain to look for fellow sojourners with whom to share their experience. It is equally unfortunate to keep the joy of victories buried when the world needs to see and hear them. Someone somewhere needs you and me to share our experience. In fact, we might need to share it more than someone somewhere needs to hear it. Either way, it is a shame to hide that which God wants us to use for our growth and someone else’s recovery or blessing. I have experienced good news, marvelous news along our journey. I have experienced joy unspeakable right in the middle of tears of sadness. One would think the two to be strange bedfellows. I have gloried in the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit at times of deep mourning. I know that the love of God and the truth of the gospel is kicking in wonderfully at those times. It would be sad for me to contain the good news when God needs to be glorified in it. That is why I have written and spoken to many. And, many have been helped. Similarly, many who have shared our experience have shared boldly with me and have helped me greatly. Praise the Lord!
My prayer of late has been, “God, take our loss and make it someone’s gain. [I believe our loss is already heaven’s gain. It might as well be someone else’s gain here.] Take our sadness and convert it to create someone’s comfort. Open my eyes to see those who share our burden so that I can share the good news that brings us life. Make our life a blessing to someone somewhere today.”