With Sympathy

No, I am not aware of anyone I know having died. Thank the Lord!

I received an assignment to blog about sympathy gifts. Now, I don't know about you, but any sad occurrence in someone else's life leaves me feeling awkward and at a loss for words. What do you say? You don't want to appear callous by apparently ignoring the person's circumstances, but neither do you want to appear cavalier by making an inappropriate comment.

I remember when I miscarried our first child that I had so desperately wanted. People, with all intentions of being kind and helpful, made the most hurtful remarks: "Oh, you can always have another baby," was probably the one that took the cake for me. I think when I don't know what to say, the safest and most effective way for me to communicate my sympathy is by giving a hug (if appropriate) and letting the hurting person know that I am praying for them.

One thing I like about Comfort and Grace (the target of this post) is that they offer simple and practical directions for How to Write a Sympathy Card. Look for the link in the left sidebar of their home page.