In this issue we reached out to Cheryl* to hear her story of how Easter motivates her to volunteer with Telecare. We learned that what came first was her rubbing shoulders with hurting people as she volunteered at other agencies, and then her realization that Christ’s suffering was for all of us.

I felt I needed to volunteer

Cheryl shared: “After I quit my life career early, I felt the need to volunteer, and was led to The Salvation Army to help in the kitchen, where I was able to get to know some of the kind and unique clients and to hear their true stories. Many of them came from very painful and difficult pasts of abuse with a total lack of love and support. In order to leave the pain behind they turned to other methods and became lost. Many also suffered from the stigma of mental illness, which I can empathize with because I lost a sister to suicide, and I used to suffer myself."

On a mission to share God's love

"During this time I also joined The Hospice Team, and learned how to care for and help those that were very ill and getting ready to pass on to be with our Lord. It seems I was on a mission to share God's Love, and because of Christ's Resurrection I knew that when we are born it is a day of celebration, and when we pass on it is also a day of celebration.”

We all need the love and compassion of God

Whether from others’ pain, or our own, we realize that we all need the love and compassion of God to manage life. Cheryl put it this way: “We each draw upon our own unique past experiences, where we went through difficulties and emotional pain. Most Important of all we draw upon our faith and our belief that Jesus is with us all, loving, guiding and helping us. All we have to do is pray (ask) Him and say Thank You. I also learnt very early to pray "Not my Will but Thine Be Done" from Luke.

We have a Redeemer who can empathize

Cheryl captured beautifully how we have a Redeemer who can empathize with our sorrows, and thereby support us as we support others. “I really came to understand Christ's concern and compassion for the homeless and lost, and why he suffered and gave his Life for us on The Cross. His suffering is a reminder that we are loved, forgiven, and there is a better, easier way to walk in our lives with our hand in his. All this knowledge helps me to show more empathy and reflect back to our callers with understanding from their frame of mind.”

Suffering from a lack of faith

As we finished our conversation with Cheryl, she wanted to speak to people who call the Telecare support line. “All of my experiences, like yours, can lead us to the truth that Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us. He wanted us to know how much he loved and forgave us, for when he was on the cross his thoughts and his heart were on us! Even now the world is suffering from a lack of faith, which leads to peace.”

Cheryl understands that we are here to share the love and compassion of Jesus, to the best of our ability. We look forward to knowing you, our callers, for you do not have to suffer alone.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.   

*Not her real name

Photo by eberhard 🖐 grossgasteiger on Unsplash