Monday; July 17

I am in Phoenix this week. For the last couple of weeks, I have been looking at the forecast and been cautious about the temperatures in the 115 degree range. Whenever I mention that to someone, they respond, “Well at least it’s a dry heat.”. Folks, I have to be honest with you, I don’t know what that means and, in all honesty, it doesn’t help me all that much. Hot is hot, dry or not! Yes, I understand that humidity can be uncomfortable – even at lower temperatures – but 115 is rugged wet or dry!

The reason I bring this up is to remind us to think about what we are saying. It is easy to offer platitudes without giving them much thought. While I tease about the consolation I have gotten about the heat, when we try to nullify hardships or tragedies with triteness, we can cause more harm than good. When someone deals with a crisis or loses a loved one, they need support, not vain repetitions of superficial phrases. They want to know that we genuinely care, not that we can repeat clichés.

The next time we find someone in trouble let’s show them that we care about what they are experiencing. When we do, we might be able to help jumpstart a legitimate healing process.

Think About It!

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