How to Walk Through Suffering
As we develop friendships, none of us knows what we might be signing up for. We usually don’t project out the possible story lines when we first meet someone. Or if we do, they are nice rosy stories of going to concerts and picnics, of having play dates and spending holidays at each others houses. Not, I bet this person will die in a fiery crash, or I imagine my friend will be thrown into prison, or I’m sure they’ll be diagnosed with cancer.
Jill Buteyn joins me on the podcast this week and the last thing she expected when she met Kara Tippetts was a deep walk through the valley of suffering ending in the death of her dear friend. Jill is a fiction author and had no idea the non-fiction book Just Show Up would be in her future, let alone co-authored by her friend Kara. And once the idea of the book was born, introverted Jill for sure didn’t picture herself doing radio and television interviews without her extroverted friend Kara. But Kara lost her battle with cancer and Jill, in her grief, has been talking about the journey God led her on.
Most of us want to move away, pull away, when someone moves into a difficult season. We ask ourselves if we can handle walking with them. It always seems more about us. Not that Jill didn’t ask those questions, but God gave her the courage to move toward Kara. If you are wondering how you can walk alongside someone on a tough and rutted road, you’ll hear practical thoughts on how to do it, how to be present, and when to just sit with your friend in silence.
I hope you’ll listen to the podcast and read the book. It is a rich offering about the dance of walking through suffering together.