Comments on: for when you can’t fake a smile

By: how to comfort a friend who’s walking a dark valley

how to comfort a friend who’s walking a dark valley — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 04:18:54 +0000

[…] knows. He’s so tender to our pain. He remembers that we’re short-sighted humans. And He isn’t shocked or intimidated with emotion. He’s close to the brokenhearted. He’s near His children when we walk through dark […]

By: Gaye @ CalmHealthySexy

Gaye @ CalmHealthySexy — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 15:09:00 +0000

I’m happy to have found you via something you tweeted. Look forward to following you.

By: Edith Pont

Edith Pont — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 03:54:00 +0000

I think we are so used to living in our own world that sharing our deepest pain creates fear. We tend to be insecure in nature and want others to accept us, so we create an image of perfection, although false, to protect ourselves. Great word Lara 🙂

By: kendalprivette

kendalprivette — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 20:52:00 +0000

even though stoic is neat and easy, but it’s detrimental to the community of believers. when we get real we can really know and REALLY love others.

By: Lara Gibson Williams

Lara Gibson Williams — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 17:49:00 +0000

In reply to Anonymous. So sorry for your pain. Praying for God's gracious perspective and kind touch of healing as you press into Him. Keep on, sister.

By: Lara Gibson Williams

Lara Gibson Williams — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 17:48:00 +0000

In reply to Bridget K.. "Dizzying space of stoicism." Love that description. And I'm right there with you, SO thankful that our God wants us to collapse in His arms. What a faithful Father. Thanks for sharing, Bridget.

By: Lara Gibson Williams

Lara Gibson Williams — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 17:46:00 +0000

In reply to Sarah. Yes. Not a neat, tidy package. But God's Word as our compass! Amen. Preaching it to myself, sister-friend. So thankful His Spirit indwells. What a gift. (And thankful for the imaginary headlines that help to keep us in check. Ha.)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 17:03:00 +0000

Thank you, Lara! Your words were just what I needed today. I woke up feeling so angry about a situation that I can do nothing more about and have to wait on God’s timing for the rest. Thank you for reminding me that our emotions are the thermometer – love that! You helped me to refocus and take that anger to The Lord and wait on Him to bring light to what seems like darkness right now. Blessings to you today and for following God’s prompting to share these words today!

By: Bridget K.

Bridget K. — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 13:15:00 +0000

Feelings – oh they are so lovely, yet so dangerous. Keeping them in check, me in check, takes more effort than I have sometimes. I’m thinking I don’t lean on God at those times when the crazy me comes out. Easier. It’s just easier to let them drive me – it’s as if my control has been turned over to those feelings, and the thermometer has morphed into my compass.

Maybe I wasn’t watching carefully HOW I lived, HOW I responded, WHAT I was doing. I let my priorities and life just go and didn’t make the most of the opportunity – my Compass was not being tended to. I let myself be in that dizzying space of stoicism. Ooh, I’m thankful God has placed a big ‘ole pillow for me to collapse into and re-orient myself.

Maybe, as Christians, we know the love of God. We know there is a net for Him to catch us. We allow ourselves to feel and sometimes to be ruled by that feeling. We know He is waiting for us. We believe.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 11:49:00 +0000

Oh, I have some feeeelings.

I think it’s easier to be stoic than to acknowledge that we’re complex people with emotions that can’t fit into a neat, tidy package.

The other part to this, I think, is that it’s easy to let our emotions rule us (our thoughts, actions, etc.) and it’s fairly easy to shut them off completely (stoicism) which seems like the more “mature” thing to do. But getting to a place in the middle where our emotions are a thermometer and God’s word remains our compass….that’s a much, much harder way to live. Thankfully, God is with us and his Spirit can teach us as we take each crazy thing to him over and over and over again.

Thankful for you, my friend!

(Oh, and considering the “crazy lady loses it in Target check-out” headline has saved me from many a public temper tantrums….)