“The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy” (Proverbs 14:10, NKJV).
Every heart has its secrets. There are bitter drops no one else has tasted, and blissful joys no one else can know. There are tears that no one sees, laughter that no one hears. There are things that we cannot share, even if we try.
You think you know the pain I feel for a loved one’s death? “Yes”, you say, “I have also lost loved ones”. Forgive me for disagreeing, but no — you didn’t lose whom I lost! You think you can appreciate the joy and happiness my wife and daughters give me? “Yes — I also have a lovely family”. Sorry, but it’s not the same! The people involved, the circumstances, the time — everything is unique! You might be able to come close to what I feel, but no matter how well you know me, there will always be the secret things!
Lord, help me to remember that I do not know the secrets of the hearts I meet. When I try to console a heart that cries, make me remember that I do not know its bitterness, lest my insensibility make its pain greater. When I face a singing heart, help me remember that I cannot share its joy, lest my insensibility rob it of some precious smile.
Lord, help me to remember that no one knows the secrets of my heart. If it seems that no one cries with me, it is only because they have not felt the lash that struck me. If it seems no one is enthusiastic about that which brings me joy, it is only because the gleam I saw is hidden from their eyes.
Help me to respect the secrets of other’s hearts, and to accept that no one knows the secrets of mine!
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