Friday, February 13, 2015

Bringing Comfort

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” (II Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV)

A university psychiatrist said several years ago about this generation of students, using the metaphor of an acrobat spinning numerous plates at once: “They have difficulty keeping more than one plate spinning at a time.”  She was referring to the marked increase in the numbers of students whose presenting problem at the university counseling center was anxiety.  

On our campus, we have seen this play out with an increasing number of suicides and drug/alcohol-related deaths.  Students are trying to cope with the stress of their lives, but finding less and less comfort.  If only they knew of the great comfort and compassion of our Lord!

This passage came alive for me in the midst of my mother’s battle with terminal cancer, when I was just finishing college and embarking on graduate school.  My father had passed away a mere three years before.  It was a very tough time.  I wondered about the meaning of it all.  Why did I have to suffer so much?  Reading this passage gave me a glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkness.  It revealed to me that God did care about my circumstances, my pain.  He wasn’t just a distant, callous observer.  And contained within it was a promise: He would use my painful experiences later to bring comfort to others.  

There is nothing like meeting people who have experienced similar things as you.  There is an unspoken bond, like veterans of war, cancer survivors, or victims of domestic violence have when they meet one another.  We are naturally drawn to people who understand what we are going through.  But even better is it when they not only understand but also can show us how to cope with tragedy and unspeakable pain.  

Over the years since my parents’ passing, I have been able to relate and share with others who are in the throes of grief.  The comfort I received from the Lord, I have been able to pass along to others, and with it the Hope to which I have always clung in the midst of crises.  

Have you ever received the comfort of the Lord in the midst of a personal tragedy or crisis?  If so, then today know the Lord can use you to comfort someone else who is struggling.  And from my experience, you won’t have to look far.  There are many who are in dire need of one who can listen, understand, and provide hope in the midst of crisis. 

© Jim Musser 2015 

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