In the garden the night of his betrayal, Jesus brought Peter, James, and John to be with him while he prayed. Though he is the Son of God, Jesus displayed himself as fully man, desiring companionship. There are moments in all our living when we need someone to bring comfort and encouragement; not necessarily always needing them to speak to us, but just having someone to be with us.

I remember over 50 years ago I became a single dad to raise my three older children. My brothers and sisters in faith came to my home just to be with me, not necessarily saying a lot – which was something I too, preferred. Years later, the husband of a very close family was stricken with Alzheimer’s. I would stop by and take him for walks. This gave his wife some needed time to herself. They lived close to our local community center where we would sit at the edge of a pond and watch the ducks. In earlier days, we went fishing together. To share something with him occasionally, I would recall fishing stories about the ‘big one’ that got away. It put a smile on his face, especially in his advanced stages when he could not dialog or speak at all.

 
If we are truly honest with ourselves, there are seasons or moments when we all need the comfort and encouragement of someone who cares for us. Even Jesus was not a ‘loner’ when he walked the earth. Look for the opportunity to be a ‘Barnabus’ — a brother or sister of encouragement.

Robert lives in Sunnyvale, CA serving in a Sharing and Caring Ministry. Contact