Reprint: " Experiencing a crisis?"

I have been thinking again about our helplessness without God. We really can't go it alone. In this vein, I was thinking that the following blog--originally written back in December--might speak to someone again now, so have decided to 'reprint' it:

"I wonder, Are you experiencing a crisis of some kind? When I'm in a crowd, it seems like most people have it all together. However, when you can get past the surface of someone's life, you will often find that he or she is experiencing a crisis, a tragedy, or something very stressful. I believe this is true of many kids as well as adults.

I've often thought that life is tough for nearly everyone. In fact, while we can always know a degree of joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16), I don't think we should ever be too far away from mourning (Romans 12:15) - at least with other people who are mourning (and there are always plenty).

And if life is a bed of roses than we obviously aren't too close to many people for whom it is a constant struggle.

So, if most of us are experiencing a crisis or tragedy or stress-creator of some kind, we may be tempted to refrain from reaching out, from moving out of our comfort zones, or from putting ourselves out on a limb for others. But we need to keep doing these things, even if we'd rather just curl up in a warm bed. (Plus it's good for us to help us take the focus off ourselves.)

Life is tough. But many other people have it tougher. And God wants us to live for Him. So let's do it."