By Pastor Andrew Farland
When I was going through one of the hardest times in my life, one of the most loving things anyone could do for me was to provide a safe place to land.
One night I had a panic attack, I was nervous and scared – completely beyond the point of being able to handle it on my own. It was the worst panic attack I had ever had. I was with a friend, but he had to leave me. I didn’t want to be alone because I didn’t feel okay.
I had two options:
Go to the emergency room to calm the panic attack. Just thinking about it made me crazy. Admitting that I was sick enough to go to the emergency room would be like going insane. Going to the hospital meant a new level of brokenness, and that was unacceptable.
Go to a small group meeting that had been scheduled to start in half an hour. I didn’t want to show this broken side, but it seemed better than going to the hospital.
My friend recommended I go to the small group meeting, and he left. I took his advice and went.
I arrived with no emotion, just a blank stare. I was a shell of myself.
The group leader Veronica said, “Hey Andrew, I know you’re going through a hard time. We don’t expect anything from you. Just stay here with us and be yourself.” She suggested that I could sit on the couch while the group met at the table, and I was welcome to join them – or not.
The group sat at the table, and I stayed on the couch with her dog. I stared at the wall, not sure what to think. All I knew for sure was that I was broken beyond repair, and I had no idea how to fix myself.
The upside was that I had a friend who expected nothing from me. She let me just be with her and the small group.
It reminded me that the greatest way to love is to be welcoming. To be a safe place to land.
I planned to go home after the meeting even though I knew it wasn’t a smart move. Veronica insisted I stay with them for the next couple of days.
Veronica showed me that love is meeting others at their point of need, not making demands of them. The way to take care of others is by being available. It’s not about throwing out advice. It’s not about offering a blanketed statement.
Go to the person in need. Meet them where they are rather than make them come to you. You need no agenda.
If we’re going to change the world, it will be like that. You don’t need to join a program, pay a fee or take a drug.
Open love – the love of God– is beautiful, and it’s a safe place to land.
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Be encouraged today because God is with you.
