{"id":7074224,"date":"2026-10-03T11:10:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T11:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074224"},"modified":"2026-10-03T11:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T11:10:22","slug":"faith-friendship-your-faith-walk-isnt-meant-to-be-done-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7074224","title":{"rendered":"Faith & Friendship | Your Faith Walk Isn’t Meant To Be Done Alone"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Erinn was heartbroken and tempted to hide her pain. Instead she embraced her faith and friendship by reaching out and sharing her heart.<\/p>\n

The tissue was soggy and wrinkled, holding the shape of my tight fist. I stared at it through blurry eyes, certain that my heart was in far worse shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sometimes I wondered how it still beat. How it still carried blood to my withering body.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My eyes ached from crying. How can one person produce so many tears? It seemed physically impossible. I felt like I was rotting from the inside out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One minute we were living a happy married life, walking hand in hand along the beach, and the next thing I knew, I was grasping at anything to recognize the person I\u2019d committed my life to.<\/p>\n

The Band-Aid was ripped off with his heavy, yet simple string of words: I\u2019ve been unfaithful.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I felt my entire future slip away, like sand through my fingertips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Turn to God in the Midst of Pain and Heartbreak<\/h3>\n
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Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2013 Psalm 5:1-2<\/em><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Through the depths of sorrow and the sting of pain, I knew I had a choice to make.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I could stay under my covers, where my brokenness could remain hidden, and reappear when I felt whole again. This felt like the safe option. The pretty option, if you will.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Show the world only the good. I\u2019m a Christian after all\u2026 what would it say if people saw me crumpled in a defeated little ball? For a moment, I convinced myself that I\u2019d be a terrible witness if people knew the truth. That my unfortunate circumstances might somehow embarrass the God everyone knew I served.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Look how awful her life is. Why would I ever want her God?<\/em><\/p>\n

My other choice? Show people my pain. Like my ugly cry, not just the gentle dabbing of a tissue to the mascara-painted corners of my eyes. It didn\u2019t take long to learn that when I do this, others get to share in the joy of God\u2019s mending (no matter how far off that may feel).\u00a0<\/p>\n

So I won\u2019t lie, I spent a few days tucked in the dark cave of my comforter. After throwing my phone across the bed one too many times when it buzzed with an \u201cAre you okay?\u201d text, I decided my pride had no place in my authentic friendships<\/a> with fellow believers.<\/p>\n

Maybe the life that I thought was just one big fat embarrassment to God could actually turn out to be a beautiful example of how He\u2019s close in times of trouble.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2013 Psalm 34:18<\/em><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You Don\u2019t Have to Walk Through Pain Alone<\/h3>\n

I made the choice to peel myself from under the covers and emerge from my little cocoon, even if I hadn\u2019t yet transformed into something whole. I don\u2019t think the world (or even our small friend circles) wants to just see the butterfly, so to speak. There\u2019s something to be said about walking alongside someone through the transformative healing process.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So I picked up my phone and faced the music, well, the string of unanswered texts and calls. Here we go, it\u2019s time to get real. Once I let go of pretending everything was okay and started sharing my pain with my close friends, I found open arms. They didn\u2019t want my perfection, they wanted my authenticity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With that, I learned a few things on how to be a friend through life\u2019s trials.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Be a \u201cDon\u2019t Say That\u201d Friend. Be a \u201cWe\u2019ll Get Through This\u201d Friend.<\/h3>\n

Have you ever expressed a real fear only to have someone say, \u201cdon\u2019t say that!\u201d But just because I don\u2019t say it, doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m not feeling it.<\/p>\n

Don’t be a “don’t say that” friend. Be a “we’ll get through this” friend. ~ Erinn Karpovck <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

When I brought my ugly cry to my friends, they didn\u2019t reprimand me for sharing my emotions, they let me speak my feelings and my fears.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just because I felt like all hope was lost didn\u2019t mean I didn\u2019t believe God could still turn brokenness into beauty. Instead of coming back at me with a \u201cdon\u2019t say that,\u201d they simply listened and said, \u201cwe\u2019ll get through this.\u201d There\u2019s so much power in a \u201cwe\u201d statement when a friend feels alone.<\/p>\n

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\u201cRejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2013 Romans 12:15<\/em><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You Can Trust God and Still Feel Sad<\/h3>\n

I used to think that other Christians might doubt my faith in God if I opened up about my real sadness or struggles<\/a>. I worried that if I showed the full extent of my pain, fear, or despair, that they\u2019d judge my faith.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Once I let others into the cracks of my brokenness, I learned that I can hold such pain in one hand, yet hold onto Jesus with the other. In reality, He\u2019s there holding me right in His palm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I realized how important it is to be the friend who:<\/strong><\/p>\n