“Overwhelmed or Underwhelmed?”

Meeting a Celebrity

She could not wait to meet Kirk Cameron. The Hollywood star was at an area bookstore to sign copies of his new book.

As a teenager, she’d diligently followed his acting career. His magazine pictures and posters covered the walls in her room. Now a Christian, Cameron was using his celebrity platform to promote his faith in Jesus.

Waiting in line, this wife and mother planned what to say when she met him. She rehearsed it several times. When she stepped before the actor, he smiled and said hello.

In response, her body shut down.

Knees turned to jelly. Throat closed up. Mind went blank.

“Grief Etiquette 101”

A Golden Opportunity

When death occurs, we can console the bereaved…or not. At funeral homes and churches, we can give genuine comfort to the family. We can also offer well-meaning but misguided attempts to help.

John Wesley told the Methodists, “First, do no harm.” If you can’t improve a bad situation, at least don’t make it worse.

Proverbs 17:28 (NIV) supports this idea: “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”

The Bible says Job’s friends heard about his horrific loss of family, possessions, and health. At first, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came and sat with Job silently for a whole week (Job 2:11-13). But they ruined everything when they opened their mouths and tried to explain his suffering.