The Cycle of Comfort

Reading 2 Corinthians, I've come to realise that the purpose of our suffering, is to become a part of God's cycle of comforting. When we go through the storms of life, or are shaken by the tragic loss of a loved one, we get to experience God's amazing comfort, as well as the comfort of family and friends. 

God promises us that He will be with us during these difficult times, which tells me we will and should expect to go through them. Grabbing hold of God's tangible comfort, allows us to stand firm, without having to fall apart, for it's in His comfort that we find the peace to trust Him, even though we do not understand why. It is in His arms that we find His strength to carry all the pain and hurt, until we are strong enough to lay it down.  The cure for our despair is trusting that God will, not solve the problem or take away our pain, but help us to get through it. 

If you are in desperate need of God's comfort right now, but cannot feel His presence, then trust that He is there, whether you can 'feel' Him or not. Spend time alone in His presence, encouraging yourself with the healing balm of the Psalms and completely open up your heart to Him honestly in prayer.  God hears all the groanings of our heart when we don't know what to pray. Build up your spirit with worship and praise and let your free-flowing tears heal you with their cleansing. I also find that spending time in nature helps me to feel God's presence. Be bold enough to ask God for a sign that He is there, and be amazed as He shows you His goodness. 

Another comfort revelation I've come to learn, is that when a sorrow is shared it is instinctively halved. Sharing our pain with others and accepting their gifts of prayer as we battle with lifes trials, testings and tribulations, is a blessing we should be thankful for, and not take for granted. And the amazing thing is, that when we comfort others, putting aside our problems and our pain, we ourselves are helped and comforted in return. In fact, it is the purpose of our very pain that we are able to comfort others who go through the same thing, that allows us to truly empathise and become an effective comforter.  

So next time you meet someone who is going through something you have had to endured, you can come along side of them with a comfort only you can offer, for God has prepared you for this very task...