2 Corinthians 1:4
He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Several years ago, my mother wrote a book based on a journal she had kept about caring for her aging parents. It’s called When Heads and Hearts Collide, and I think it can best be summed up by her recollection of the day my grandmother stomped her foot at Mom and said, “I don’t want you to be my mother!” Believe me, my mom didn’t want that, either. You might be wondering, if the years spent caring for my grandparents were so difficult – and at times, painful – why write about it? The answer lies in 2 Corinthians 1:4.
I honestly cannot recall ever sharing my mom’s book with a single person who didn’t say, “I could have written that. This book helped me so much.” My mother used a troubling time in her life and shared her experiences so that others will find comfort when they are faced with the same or a similar situation. From time to time, I try to do this with these devotionals, by offering personal experiences and relating how God helped me through them, in case you ever experience something similar.
No matter who you are or what age you are, there is probably some “troubling time” through which God has comforted you. And others can use your experience to understand that God really will comfort them during their troubling times. I think one of the best examples of this for me has been in writing sympathy cards. I have been able to use the sadness and sorrow of losing loved ones – particularly my father and brother – to comfort others. They know from the words I write in their card that I truly do understand their grief. And when I tell them how God comforted me during these losses, they know I am sincere.
When I tell someone who has broken their ankle that God will give them the strength and courage to do the therapy and rehab … and patience to sit on their rear end for nearly three months while things heal, they know I speak from firsthand experience. When I tell someone I know how scary it is to sell your house and downsize … or to quit a good, steady job to start your own business … and God gave us the courage to do these things … they are given hope for their own situation. If you have experienced God’s comfort when you didn’t make the team, you lost the championship, you wrecked your car, or your personal relationship or friendship with someone ended, you can convey this to others who need to hear it.
The key is to recognize the ways God has comforted you in times of trouble … and to notice those around you who need to hear about them and be encouraged. You don’t have to give every single detail … you don’t have to “air your dirty laundry” to the world … but there are people who need to hear firsthand accounts of how God has comforted someone in a situation similar to theirs – and you just may be that person! Where will you testify to God’s comfort today? Who needs to know you care enough to share your own experience and be the vehicle for God to work? How will you serve … who will God bless and comfort because of you?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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