That grumpy cashier at the grocery store? Maybe she just found out her grandson has cancer. That rude phlebotomist? Maybe her husband is leaving her. That perfect couple down the street? Maybe one of them struggles with mental illness. That popular family with cute kids? Maybe they have an estranged sibling or an ill parent.
In the midst of suffering, we often feel alone, like the people around us have easy lives. They can't relate, because they aren't going through our exact type of suffering. Maybe they aren't, but maybe their burden is just as heavy. As I type, I am reminded of this video from a few years ago:
Let's open our eyes. Rather than zooming in on our own pain and suffering, let's come alongside our co-sufferers. Let's do what we can to ease their burdens. In the process, we may lose sight of our own burden for a little while, and maybe it will be lighter the next time we notice.
May our suffering open our eyes to the suffering of others.
May our suffering help us treat others with grace and kindness.
May our suffering make us selfless, not selfish.
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