When there aren’t words to say…
I did the funeral for an 18 year old young man once. (In fact, I’ve done a few too many funerals for children when the parents are still living.) For this boy, I went to school with his mother and his father is a dear, personal friend. He was supposed to start college the following Monday, but tragically died in a car accident on the prior Sunday night. He was a well-loved, funny, popular boy and the funeral home was packed with people paying their respects. As you can imagine, there were hundreds of students wrestling to understand why this happened to their friend.
In times like these, there usually are no words that can fully bring comfort to the family. They are hurting. They are hurting with a pain whose depths most of us can never imagine. I frequently get asked, “What should I say to the family?”
When there aren’t words to say…
Say nothing if there’s nothing to say…just be there…
Tell them you’re sorry…but don’t try to make explanations…
Give them a hug…and hold them until they let go…
Cry with them…and assure them you care…
Pray for them…and do this continually after you leave their presence…
When there aren’t words to say…
Just be a friend…
When was the last time you were in a situation where there was simply nothing to say?
