I’ve experienced days, like most people, of deep, deep sadness or despair.  Grief, loss, loneliness, each powerful emotions that can cripple anyone from living a life of joy and happiness.  I don’t know anyone who can work through trauma on their own and no one should ever have to, ever.

On Thursday I blogged about my friend’s daughter who was assaulted in her college dorm room as a freshman.  Several years have passed since the attack and the young woman and her family have moved forward, slowly.  The struggle to put the past, and its river of emotions, where it belongs is not quite done; but the support that my friend and her family has received will go a long way to the keep the momentum going.

Today, as we do every Sunday, my husband and I watched Joel Osteen.  In his sermon the message was this:  To help hurting people is the closest thing to the heart of God.  It resonated with me in a way I hadn’t expected and is related to the response from Thursday’s post.  Offers from near and far to contact the college to express concern, or hold a forum on homecoming weekend; as well as prayers for healing, have been echoed by some of the over 1,600 readers of the post.

There have, as evidence by this blog, been so many people who have helped me in my hours of need; they get my thanks daily.  My hope is that the offers of help, and in particular the prayers for healing, continue well beyond today for my friend and her lovely daughter!