I wish I could take credit for that great line, but I can’t. When my friend called, I could tell she’d had a rough day. Not one to complain, I could also tell she also didn’t want to unload on me. But she needed to.
Trying not to push, I did my best to keep her talking, “Have you had dinner?” About an hour later we were sitting in our favorite place enjoying comfort food. What that means is, we were downing baskets of tortilla chips and salsa. I’m pretty sure that any workout coaches or trainers in the place were probably horrified. Our calorie intake in that short interval of time could most likely last us for the rest of the week. But the food going in wasn’t the point. It was what needed to come out of her head and heart that mattered most.
There are those times that what you really need is simply someone to talk to. And, a good meal to go with it usually works wonders too. My friend said it best, “Fighting off the grouchies with a good friend and guacamole. Works every time!” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I sometimes wonder, if we as a people were just a bit more willing to lend an ear to someone who has had a rough day or is feeling grumpy, would visits to the therapists go down?
I once was unloading on a friend about a very bad week I’d had. Suddenly, she said, “You need counseling. Here’s a number.”
Personally, I was shocked. I had listened to her on more than one occasion as she unloaded on the ills of her life. But for some reason, this time, she wasn’t in a listening mood. She wanted to help me fix it. And she was doing what she thought was right. I knew my problem wasn’t exactly fixable at that time, and I merely wanted to get the usual frustrations off my chest. All I really needed was a good friend that didn’t mind if I vented. For a very long time.
I had to ask, what did people do before professional counselors? Hmmm.
Now, in all fairness, I didn’t and still do not blame my friend for what transpired that day. I am fully aware that there have been times I too have had more than enough on my plate and wasn’t able to handle what was coming from the other person as well.
We as people, however, do need each other. It’s just a fact of life. We need to bear each others’ burdens. And yes, at times, it will be frustrating, disappointing, and even a bit inconvenient.
You do have to wonder though, would schedules at the counseling centers suddenly open up if we listened to folks a bit more? And too, if folks and their listening ears were there in turn for us.
Just my thoughts. And yours?
S.
Yes! Larry Crabb wrote a book about this, well, sort of the same thing, called “Connecting”. He, too, says we don’t need trained counselors that much, we just need peers who will listen and point us to scripture.
I bet your friend was a new woman afterwards. She probably owes you TONS of counseling $$$.