I took my three daughters and two of their friends ice skating last week. I asked the younger of the two friends if she’d been ice skating before. She replied that she had, so I assumed she could skate alone. My assumption was proven wrong as soon as she stepped onto the ice. She grabbed the railing to stay upright, and didn’t move a muscle.

Within minutes my girls had surrounded her {one behind, and one on either side}, and were skating her alongside the wall. Her legs were loosey-goosey, and without the girls’ help, she would fall.

After a couple of trips around the rink, she was able to tighten her legs enough that she could skate while holding onto the railing with my oldest daughter on the other side of her. By the end of the two-hour session, she was skating alone with confidence, barely holding on to the railing.

* * * * *

We’re fakers. We fake confidence and ability and a host of other traits. We fake our financial statuses and our social statuses. We pretend our feelings don’t get hurt. We act like we have it all together when we’re falling apart.

We fear vulnerability. We fear revealing our true selves. And, oh God, how we fear falling and failing!

What if we were vulnerable? What if we let somebody in…let somebody help us? What if we let somebody hold us up when we’re too weak to stand? Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?

* * * * *

What if we quit assuming we know people, their motivations and intentions? What if we took the time to ask questions, dig deep, and wait for honest answers?

What if we swooped in with helping hands and hearts instead of standing in condemnation, gawking at the falling, and tossing them 101 ways to pull themselves up by their bootstraps {or worse, a handful of Bible verses}?

What if we doled out love and grace and mercy like we couldn’t give them away fast enough? What if we stopped trying to make other people into what we think they ought to be? What if we just loved others right where they are, just as they are…without expectation?

* * * * *

My heart is heavy for several friends I’ve talked with over the past few weeks. Y’all, people all around us are hurting and falling apart and failing. Not one of us is immune. Surely, all of us are doing life the best we can…the best way we know how. And the Enemy is doing all he can to deceive and isolate us…to make sure we fumble through life damaged and lonely.

Let’s be compassionate. Let’s reach out, take someone by the hand, look them in the eyes, and tell them that we are here for them. And let’s mean it. Let’s follow up. Let’s check on one another. Let’s not get so wrapped up in our own worlds that we forget we need each other. Let’s be the people that offer friends a steady hand until they can move through life with confidence again.

Let’s be love. Let’s be mercy. Let’s be grace.