Some team members had to work through the night. It was their job, their responsibility, so they didn’t expect any special attention or treatment. I could have gone to bed and soundly slept through their overnight work, but…

It’s important to know people are in the dark with us.

I ran through a fast food restaurant to pick up food to deliver around midnight. The food wasn’t important. They might not have eaten a single bite. But at least they knew someone thought of them late into the dark night.

Many times, it’s more of a spiritual or emotional darkness than the darkness of night. It’s sitting in the doctor’s office alongside someone as they explore treatment options. It’s walking through the grief process of making difficult decisions of funeral arrangements. It’s listening to frustrations through unemployment and financial challenges. It’s sitting with a parent who is uncertain how to handle chronic anxiety or behavior issues.

And it’s rarely solving the problem.

Just like the work crews may not have eaten a single bite, the people we walk alongside through messy situations might not take a single piece of our advice. We might not even offer much advice. Much of the time, it is our humble presence, our willingness to listen, empathize, and speak truth in love that truly connects with and helps people.

When we meet people in the dark, we rarely need a blinding spotlight to illuminate them. When we approach others from a healthy place, we bring light with us in a more subtle, gentle way. We focus more on the connection and reaching out in a way that is receivable, not jarring, because being in the dark is already disruptive and discouraging enough.