But what do you do with it?

Last week I had a conversation with X who was quite stressed (understatement of the day) about a number of things in his work environment. If you looked at what he was struggling with, it didn’t seem like a big deal, they worked on it together with his employer, and it all seemed to be going well. But still… it gave him quite a bit of stress.

Do you know that feeling?

The thing was… that he is a work coach. Someone who guides people in their work, and also teaches them how to deal with things that don’t go well. So he should be the authority! And yet… it stressed him out. A lot.

I just compared it to school and teachers. Now take the following example:

Suppose my wife dies today… which “teacher” would I like to see at the door to comfort me? The teacher who has read many books about grief and sadness? Or would I rather see the teacher who has also lost someone and therefore really understands what it is? Or perhaps a combination of the two?

In all honesty, if it is a “on paper teacher”, I don’t think it will go well at the door… because “paper talk” is of no use to me. Somehow you quickly feel that… he thinks he knows, but has NO idea… and then you’re quickly done with “talking”.

So that’s how we started looking at it with X. This is school, only very practical. Not easy, perhaps not fun (me and school were not friends…) but it is necessary to become excellent at your profession. Whatever that profession is. From junior to senior.

And maybe things aren’t easy for you right now either… and that is putting it mildly… but imagine… this prepares you to soon become THE specialist in subject X, Y or Z… The person who really knows how it works! Today’s pain is there, it is real, but perhaps, this will change your perspective on your struggle just a little? If so, you will soon be the person who can come to me if things go entirely wrong on this side of the globe. What a blessing that would be.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4