As It Happens - On Letting It Happen (Focus 3 of 4)

How do you react when you realize a spider is on your person?

It's hard to know exactly what to do or feel in the moment as you walk through something difficult. Let's consider the ways others have acted and see what God has to offer.

Now that you've answered the icebreaker question, here's another to consider - this one about how you handle difficult things: 

See what this Spotlight is focused on.
Tap on the words "Focus 3" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.

Hopefully that makes enough sense to get you going. Say this prayer together as you transition into the Worship portion of this Spotlight:

Lord,
Nobody is immune to going through things
that are challenging and painful.
Help us to be open about this universal reality
and may it move us to have greater compassion
and empathy on those around us.
Amen.

Read the story of the two people in crisis who went to find Jesus.

Mark 5:21-43
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Reflect on the story with this video.

Pray this prayer that is based on the story. Choose one person to read the prayer.

Lord Jesus,
you walked among the crowds who pressed in on every side,
and you stopped for the one who reached for you.
You looked with compassion on the woman who had suffered so long,
and you called her “daughter.”
Look with that same compassion on those suffering today.

For the ones in pain,
for the ones carrying chronic illness,
for the ones exhausted by waiting for answers, 
be their healer, their strength, their rest.

You took the father’s trembling plea,
and you walked with him toward his child.
Walk with all who stand at the bedside of those they love.
Be near to the dying.
Be near to the grieving.
Be near to the ones whose hearts are breaking open.

Lord, you are not only the giver of life;
you are the companion in every valley.
So whether the healing comes or not,
whether the answer is what we long for or not,
hold us in your presence.
Teach us to trust not in outcomes, but in you.
For your mercy never fails, and your love endures forever.
Amen.

Here's a short video that goes over a common, six-step plan that therapists use when dealing with crises. You're (probably) not a therapist - but there's something interesting about it.

Richard James’ Six-Step Plan for Crisis Intervention:

1. Define the problem
2. Ensure safety
3. Provide support
4. Examine alternatives
5. Make a plan
6. Commit to follow-up

As a group, name times when you've seen a step of this plan be used to support you or someone you know as you've gone through something difficult. What do these look like in regular exchanges? Try to come up with at least one example for each step of the plan.
--
After going through the steps, notice patterns:

• Which steps felt most common?
• Which ones were more rare, but powerful?
• How might these steps shape how we walk into conversations with friends who are in the middle of something hard?

Feel free to submit a prayer request by filling out the below form.
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)

Pray through your requests—together—as a group.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.

Close with the song, "May You Find a Light" by the Brilliance

Let's wrap things up by taking a look at what's Current at Illume.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.