Yesterday we talked about the gift of vulnerability and how it enables us to have the best of human relationships. Today, I want to talk to you about the second thing you can do to enhance the quality and depth of your connections with others — be aware. Look for people’s pain and when you find it, be present with it; empathize and share in their experience. You don’t have to fix or repair situations — simply acknowledge what another is going through. That is enough.

Mother Teresa’s ministry was to be present with people. She couldn’t really do much for the children who were dying; she was simply available to be a comforting presence as they breathed their last. Bringing herself to the situation was the most loving thing she could do and because of her life, no person in India — child or adult — was isolated in their suffering. In fact, that’s the meaning of the word compassion: to suffer with.

Like Mother Teresa, you can be a conduit of healing and compassion by simply being present. True love is always expressed in action; listening to people, giving them a hug (if it’s appropriate), praying with them and letting them know that they’re not alone. This is the heart and soul of Jesus, and doing so enables you to carry His Presence into the world in a tangible, transformative way.