Tips for Writing "Apples of Gold"

Reading through notes written to encourage my daughter Beth during her recent cancer treatments left me very thankful for those able to write an encouraging note from the heart. They included truth from God's Word and gently reminded her of who God is and of His love for her. For the most part, they were written by women who had a deep understanding of what it meant to be a child of God and a solid knowledge of His Word. They left me with a desire to be equally encouraging when I have the opportunity to write such notes. I recently came across a post at the Counseling One Another blog dealing with this very issue.

"Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances."  Proverbs 25:11

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"How to Write a Good Sympathy Card"

Since my mother’s death ... I have radically altered the way I write in sympathy cards. I now know more fully the pain that death brings into our lives and, having received so many impacting words of comfort from others, am convinced I will never write in a card the same way I did before...

 As I read them over, four words came to mind. I offer them to you, along with examples of what others wrote to our family, as suggestions for you to apply in order to become a more effective “minister of comfort” to those who grieve (2 Cor 1:4).

Permission: Give them permission to grieve or be shocked. Use words that communicate freedom to experience and release pain. 

The pain of your loss is greater when your heart has been touched deeply and your life affected more profoundly by the one you have loved. We are never prepared for the loss of a loved one, but God’s grace and mercy are new every morning. He is faithful in times of grief and He, with His Word and His children, will strengthen you in the days ahead.

Honesty: If you don’t know what to say then admit it. Don’t feel pressured to come up with some profound word that does not represent the real you. Include brief Scripture quotations of comfort. Remember, the one thing Job’s “comforters” did right is they sat with him for one week w/o saying a word (Job 2:13). Your unspoken presence will mean the world to those who grieve.

If we knew what to say, we would not know how to say it. We are asking God to give grace running over as you and your family deal with this difficult hour.

Empathy: Show them you understand without actually saying, "I understand what you are going through."

I was deeply saddened to hear of your mother’s death. I lost my own mother in a similarly unexpected way and I well remember the sense of shock. I pray the comfort of the Spirit of Christ will be with you and your family, especially your little ones who will be without their grandmother at Christmas.

Assistance:  Open your ears to listen to them and your heart to serve them. [Here's a very valuable comment from a reader: "If you offer to help in any way, reach out to the grieving person. They probably won't call you but if you call and say 'let's get a cup of coffee' they will probably take you up on it. When you go be ready to listen."]