Apr. 5: Speaking With Someone Facing Illness

You may want to comfort a friend or loved one who’s struggling with cancer, but you’re not sure what exactly to say.

Lori Hope, author of Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know, offers several suggestions:

▪ Say “I’d like to ask how you’re doing, but I don’t want to bring it up if you don’t want to talk about it.  What would you prefer?”

▪ Ask, “How’s it going?” not “How are you feeling?”  That allows people to talk about their illness or to introduce a different topic to discuss, if they prefer.

▪ Try, “I’m so sorry to hear about your cancer. Know that I’ll be thinking of you.” Or, “I imagine you’re feeling so many things right now. Please know that I’m here to listen whenever you’d like to talk about it.”

▪ If you do offer to help in some way, be specific.  Say you’ll bring dinner or baby-sit the children.

In addition, be sure to always keep them in your prayers.

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.  (Romans 8:26)

Guide us with Your Word, Lord