for: just a friend

"when you have a friend who feels unloved/unwanted, what do you say to him/her to help them?"

dear just a friend, i definitely think that people who feel unloved/unwanted are very fragile. i don't mean that in a judgmental or offensive way, but it is just a delicate situation. so at first, i would suggest to slowly and gradually open up, giving him/her a chance to talk about their struggles, and you might be able to discern why they might feel unloved or unwanted. try to put yourself in their shoes, and be a friend to him/her. depending on the person and the situation, it could be a long time before they start opening up and sharing why they feel unloved/unwanted. so i would suggest to be persistent.

remind them of how they are loved and wanted by Christ and that that is really all that matters.

start helping them to feel loved and wanted in words and actions. if you're not sure where to start, i would definitely recommend to start slow; in fact, i would stress to start slow. typically, unloved/unwanted people isolate themselves and it takes a while for them to open up. going in and helping them too quickly could cause them to feel very uncomfortable and it may make them feel like what they go through is meaningless, and that you are just trying to fix them, instead of actually wanting them to feel loved and wanted by you.

pray about the words to say to him/her and always be aware of how your actions could affect them, especially after you have been helping them.

stay strong, encourage him/her, try to understand, and try to be completely free of judgment towards their reasoning.

hope this helps!

sincerely,
allie d.