I wasn’t there to help my friend—but God was
I was supposed to be there for her. But here I was, on a trip out of the country, with my struggling friend disappearing into the distance. During my flight, I started to feel increasingly anxious, because my friend had been going through a rough situation at home and had been feeling more and more down about it. Before I’d left, she’d even told me she would kill herself if things got any worse, and the fear this left me with was unbearable. Since I would be in another country, I wouldn’t have service on my phone to talk to her. And as the flight went on, I couldn’t help but think of all the terrible things that might happen while we were out of touch.
While this situation was definitely extreme, it wasn’t the first time I’d felt burdened by someone else’s problems. I’ve always wanted to help other people, and it’s natural for me to recognize when someone looks upset or sad and to respond. The problem is, I’ve often ended up taking on my friends’ problems as my own—this can feel really heavy, and sometimes makes me feel helpless.
I couldn’t help but think of all the terrible things that might happen while my friend and I were out of touch.
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