Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone is to listen without giving advice.
We live in a world where we are easy to judge people without caring to give a listening ear or understand their plight.
When I was still in college; I had a roommate who was a snub, parties a lot, and I often see her in dark corners with numerous boys.
She hardly read her books, nor have I ever seen her in any class except the ones the lecturers were very strict.
I concluded that she must be promiscuous and at times I prayed that she won’t end up in hellfire.
At times, I talked to others about her and we judged her in our minds; we never cared to talk to her about her lifestyle or try to hear her reasons, we all concluded she was a lost cause.
They were moments I woke up in the night and heard sobs coming from her corner, but I didn’t mind; I concluded she’s a sinner and a believer like me shouldn’t care about her.
The day I couldn’t take her actions again, I decided to confront her and know why she decided to be promiscuous and not face her education.
I was losing my patience and I didn’t know when I started raising my voice at her and it was at that moment she started crying.
She was crying and told me how she lost her mom, and after which her step-father started abusing her each night after her mom died.
She said her stepbrothers weren’t left too; all the men in life crushed her spirit and self-esteem.
She hated men and the only thing she could do was to break their hearts in return; she told me I wasn’t a believer as I mocked her with my friends each time I thought she was sleeping.
I was ashamed of myself, and I knew I could have helped her; rather I resorted to criticizing her.
I knew I couldn’t help her; I needed help myself; I had to direct her to my spiritual director after she was helped and saved.