Bench Connections (09/08/2026)

When I get weary when I am out and about, I tend to look for a bench to rest. I have met some of the most fascinating individuals along the way during those bench moments. And most of those encounters have made a difference in the way I live my life from that moment on.

Perhaps one of my most memorable was a woman I met on a bench outside the hotel in Yuma Arizona. She sat down next to me on the bench as I sat watching the evening sky. I greeted her with a simple smiling, “Hello.” She had a lot on her mind, and her whole body indicated her heavy burden. And she began speaking immediately. She shared so many personal points and painful experiences. I listened, sipped my iced tea from my big bubba, and nodded. I didn’t interrupt. I could tell she’d reached “spill over” time and I just needed to be an ear and a shoulder. She needed the opportunity to speak out loud what she thought.

As I listened, I realized how many individuals like her there were in our world today, individuals struggling with the cost of living and demands of our society. I could tell how hard working she was; her struggles weren’t from lack of trying but lack of “breaks.” Not everyone receives the break they need; not everyone is surrounded by understanding and compassionate people.  She told me how fortunate she was that her landlord was understanding on that issue, when rent had to be paid late. We agreed that it was a blessing.

When she was done talking, we sat in silence for a bit before I introduced myself as Kate and asked her name. “Darla,” she answered.  She stood, gave me a hug, and told me thanks. I hugged her back and told her thanks for trusting me and letting me walk a bit with her on her journey. Then I asked if she was okay with us saying a short prayer together before we parted. She agreed. I led us in a prayer of thanksgiving that we could be there for one another even if only for a short while and for the LORD bringing us together to share our journeys.

Later that evening I thanked the LORD for that conversation, for that immersion into the journey of another, and for insight into what others are dealing with in their struggles just to live. I asked the LORD to send His Spirit to Darla for her journey. And I asked for the Spirit to guide me so that I might be more like that understanding landlord who was compassionate toward others struggling.

Our journeys are often marked with hardship. We are called to be there for one another and for loving and authentic compassion to be our main currency in our relationships with others, in our dealings with others. As I listened to Darla, I kept hearing in my head the question, “What would I want from another if I were Darla?” And I kept praying for guidance.

We can tend to make decisions from a distance about another. But our loving savior taught us to get close, to seek to know the other not just know about them. My time with Darla reminded me of that.

As we journey forward in faith, buoyed by hope, and fueled by love, let us look at those we encounter along the way without judgment. Let us seek to come to know them and know their journeys, their hopes, their true needs. Let us seek to be true companions on the journey.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.