You Just Don’t Know ‘til You Get There

About 18 months ago, I started on a journey and had no idea how it would change my life. I went in for an elective surgery and it ended up surgery gone wrong. After 5 months, 4 surgeries, home health, and physical therapy, I came through it with a renewed appreciation of the challenges life can throw our way.

People often say,” I know how you feel”. In truth no one really knows how you feel until they’ve walked the same path you’ve walked. That’s what my Momma meant when she said,” You just don’t know ‘til you get there”.

Serious illness of a child? You just don’t know ‘til you get there.

Loss of a loved one? You just don’t know ‘til you get there.

Loss of a job? You just don’t know ‘til you get there.

Troubled marriage? You just don’t know ‘til you get there.

Divorce? You just don’t know ‘til you get there.

Life altering circumstances? You just don’t know ‘til you get there.

When I was struggling with breast cancer at the age of 30 and with two small children, one of my best friends would call and just listen. She never claimed to understand, but she would say, “I’m so sorry”. I will never forget that. So simple. So needed. When she was diagnosed with brain cancer years later, I was there for her as she was for me.

Scripture tells us in II Corinthians chapter 4, “God comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us”.

Though we can’t understand everything that people are going through, we can be there with an open heart and listening ear. You may never know how much that will mean to those in your life, but the impact is powerful. Momma was right. You just don’t know ‘til you get there.