THE BIBLE-TEACHING MINISTRY OF CHARLES R. SWINDOLL
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What Should I Say to Hurting People Ever wish you could reach out to a friend in crisis, but you’re just not sure what to say? Most of us tend either to avoid the person or situation altogether or to rush in and say too much. The list below demonstrates some ways you can effectively support people in need. Notice how these responses acknowledge and reflect the person’s feelings without judging him or her or offering unwelcome advice. What Effective Caregivers Say
What Effective Caregivers DON’T Say
Soft Words for Heavy Hearts Here are five books I recommend that have suggestions for speaking with those who are hurting. Of course, Insight for Living cannot endorse everything the writers say in these works, so we encourage you to approach these and all other non-biblical resources with wisdom and discernment. The Art of Condolence: What to Write, What to Say, What to Do at a Time of Loss by Leonard M. Zunin and Hilary Stanton Zunin Don’t Ask for the Dead Man’s Golf Clubs: What to Do and Say (and What Not to) When a Friend Loses a Loved One by Lynn Kelly The Etiquette of Illness: What to Say When You Can’t Find the Words by Susan P. Halpern Healing Conversations: What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say by Nance Guilmartin When Words Matter Most: Thoughtful Words and Deeds to Express Just the Right Thing at Just the Right Time by Robyn Freedman Spizman
About the Author: Colleen Swindoll-Thompson Colleen Swindoll-Thompson