What do you say?

Last night was one of the longest nights of my life.  To be quite honest, I don't even know how to begin processing it.  I really don't. 

I am not a strong swimmer.  I mean, I can get myself from one end of the pool to the other but that's about it.  No one is going to ask me to be a lifeguard.  I am completely and totally unequipped to jump in and pull someone to safety.  But what do you do if you are the only one there and someone is drowning?  You jump.  I jumped.  Praying the entire time.  Only it wasn't into the water, it was into a very unstable conversation.

I am so grateful that there are people in this world that are cut out to work on a crisis hotline; I am very aware that I am not one of them.  What are you supposed to say?  Is sympathy in order or does that only enable?  Will tough love get their attention or break them down completely?  How do you convince someone that they are not alone and their life is worthwhile?  What do you say?  Something.  Anything.  I racked my sleep deprived brain for wisdom and prayed that somehow the words that I was saying were making a difference.  Long term, I am not so sure that they did, but we made it through the night, which is all I can ask for right now.  Only time will tell what is going to happen in the future.  

So today as my brain tries to process everything, I am left with just this one question...What do you say when there are no words?