Sixty-Second Caring

"How are you doing?" you ask. There's a pause before the reply. "You don't really want to know." The eyes look down. The body language says, "If you turn and walk away, I won't blame you."

Often we're unprepared for this golden moment, thrown off balance by the answer. We must pre-think our response to that situation.

Response #1: "Want to talk about it?" Listen to understand, not to advise. We usually need acceptance and understanding more than advice.

#2: A loving hug or pat on the shoulder. "Love is . . . capable of healing broken minds, bodies and spirits. The touch is the vehicle by which love can be conveyed" (John Hornbrook, The Miracle of Touching [Lafayette, LA: Huntington House, 1985]: 27-28).

#3: "Could we pray about it right now?" This shows you care and points to the ultimate Strength. "In everything . . . present your requests to God, and the peace of God . . . will keep you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).

#4: "Maybe you can't talk now. Can I call you later?" Some problems can be shared only in private -- the hurt is too deep or the problem too personal. Respect for privacy might provide a chance to serve otherwise unavailable.

None of these responses takes very long, but they say loud and clear, "I care about you and what you're going through." They are ways we can "bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2).

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles on subjects of interest to Bible students. He has taught Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses Bible college, university, and adult education programs. He has taught seminars and workshops in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Sign up for Steve's free "DeeperStudy Newsletter."

MORE RESOURCES:

Inspirational school gains a top Ofsted mark - Reading Evening Post

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2036836_inspirational_school_gains_a_top_ofsted_markcid=1255056359ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNGZ4Ui4TpzHJmX8pJ2EhFCW2qaqQQbInspirational/b school gains a top Ofsted mark/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fReading Evening Post,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1School inspectors who recently visited the primary described it as “binspirational/b” and “excellent”. Lead Ofsted inspector Janet Sinclair said: “This is an b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-1fd=Rurl=http://www.redditchadvertiser.co.uk/news/3735178.Joy_at_good_report/cid=1255056359ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNHrda8BBRvYkbOUHLW2eJPtphzPHQJoy at good report/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrRedditch Advertiser/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-2fd=Rurl=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/education/education/3733284.School_comes_top_of_the_class_after_Ofsted_inspection/cid=1255056359ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNF09ncKgB4bYlcg2sh_tJoY5YNJAgSchool comes top of the class after Ofsted inspection/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrSouthern Daily Echo/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255056359hl=ennobrall 3 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Inspirational setter returns to Eagles’ volleyball team - Issaquah Press

Inspirational mum receives national award - Skegness Standard

Nanaimo survivors show spirit and share inspirational stories - Nanaimo Daily News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/story.html%3Fid%3Da70729b2-b849-4ab4-ac3d-dc6f3e621b60cid=1255123277ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNE2lynSWyLNPD-B5hkJWDBwEZq2Mwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=OavcSH2HaJsJimgurl=a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/7a4062bf-1caf-45d2-b39d-5aeb6b020806/runforcure.jpg%3Fsize%3Dl width=80 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Nanaimo Daily News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/story.html%3Fid%3Da70729b2-b849-4ab4-ac3d-dc6f3e621b60cid=1255123277ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNE2lynSWyLNPD-B5hkJWDBwEZq2MwNanaimo survivors show spirit and share binspirational/b stories/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNanaimo Daily News,nbsp; Canadanbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1It was two years ago on Sunday that Sharon deLure went to a routine physical that changed her life. The Nanaimo wife and mother almost cancelled her b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-1fd=Rurl=http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/issues/ISArticle.asp%3Fid%3D90399%26issue%3D10062008cid=1255123277ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNGTaq7yRKCu4OtSimuALtFnWOry1ATeam 98.1 CHFI Raises $70K for Run for Cure/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBroadcaster/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255123277hl=ennobrall 5 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Lockhart inspirational for Bangor - Belfast Telegraph

Best Retention Initiative: Barclays Bank - Times Online

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/top_50_women/article4900814.ececid=0ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNGjBcLZBPSGxzAQNIsN1gmEVPKdpAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=BDmw1xsnj9kJimgurl=www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00410/Women_Work_410966a.jpg width=80 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Times Online/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/career_and_jobs/top_50_women/article4900814.ececid=0ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNGjBcLZBPSGxzAQNIsN1gmEVPKdpABest Retention Initiative: Barclays Bank/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTimes Online,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Palmer-Edgecumbe says: “We are looking for people who are binspirational/b, who are doing over and above their day job, who are really making a difference. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Inspirational Stores Raises €10 Million - Private Equity Hub

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.pehub.com/19502/inspirational-stores-raises-e10-million/cid=1254803255ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNE__hOss47kd8dbnVE_MOhESeJ_2gbInspirational/b Stores Raises €10 Million/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPrivate Equity Hub,nbsp;MAnbsp;-/font nobrOct 6, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bInspirational/b Stores, a Paris-based provider of online marketing solutions for high-end and niche consumer brands, has raised €10 million in second-round b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-1fd=Rurl=http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2008/10/06/daily4-Atlas-Venture-invests-14M-in-Inspirational-Stores.htmlcid=1254803255ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNGFl02Lsh8FaQ5NQXwrRAJ92sTHgwAtlas Venture invests $14M in bInspirational/b Stores/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMass High Tech/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1254803255hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Inspirational stories abound at run - Telegraph-Journal

French Inspirational Stores inspires VCs for 10m Euros series B ... - TechCrunch

Ballesteros #39;stable#39; in hospital - BBC Sport

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9i-0fd=Rurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7655919.stmcid=1254839414ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNGBfdgD2F_piT13glOdUw0kVDoCLgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=C_ScgHB1LhsJimgurl=newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45084000/jpg/_45084081_-22.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2BBC Sport/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7655919.stmcid=1254839414ei=hi3sSK-uFJWO9QSE0cSLCQusg=AFQjCNGBfdgD2F_piT13glOdUw0kVDoCLgBallesteros #39;stable#39; in hospital/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBBC Sport,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobrOct 6, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Ballesteros also played an binspirational/b role in the Ryder Cup, winning 20 points from 37 matches, as well as captaining Europe to victory at the Spanish b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Inspirational - Google News

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