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I didn’t actually do anything. I couldn’t. I couldn’t change the fact that he was dying. That her marriage of many decades would be over soon and she’d have to learn to live without her husband. Such was the case for a lady I talked to a few years ago through Stephen Ministry.

Stephen Ministry is a Christian organization that provides lay counseling to people in crisis. We care for people who are in crisis, mostly by listening, praying with and for them, perhaps going through a Bible study topic that relates to their circumstances. We don’t try to “fix” them or their problem.

There’s great power in just being there for somebody. Being there to support someone impacts their life more than we think it does. Our presence can reduce someone’s feelings of isolation. That, in turn, can help them cope with the stress of whatever’s going on. Even though I couldn’t take away or even lessen this above lady’s burden, it mattered. I was somebody who cared about her even though nothing changed with her circumstances. When her husband died, we continued to meet to help her process her grief.

It’s surprising what a difference just being there for someone and listening to them can make in their life. The little things can make a big difference.