Sometimes as friends we are afraid to bring up the burden. We don’t want to bring up a hard conversation that we dont know how to address. Or we might not want to stir up emotions, if they dont want to talk about it. A simple way to know and bless them is just ask. “Do you want to talk about it?” That gives them and you an easy directive of how the conversation needs to go.

If they do, dont feel like you have to have a solution. (You can always offer prayer or God’s Truth.) Sometimes they just need a listening ear. Other times they may just need to speak their feelings to lighten their load.

It is amazing how many times people can ask, “How are you?”. It’s become as common as saying hello. When someone is going through a burdened time, they get asked even more and it can be easy for them to give the short answer and move on. If you really want to know, when you ask, make sure you really have the time and are at a place to give them a listening ear. Schedule a coffee date with them, a time to stop by their house, or give them a  call to show that you really care.