Old Things R New

Guest Post

Rebekah Lyn

Reblogged from Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen

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.”
~2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Catch your breath now. That’s one long sentence. A modern editor would viciously restructure it into something simpler. I’m glad it wasn’t stripped down into less of a tongue twister, though, because it causes us to slow down as we read it. While I was writing one of my first books, Summer Storms, I was thumbing through my grandmother’s Bible, looking for inspiration, and noticed she had underlined these words.

Not only did these verses fit nicely with the scene I was working on, they spoke to my own need. You see, the catalyst for Summer Storms was the intense grief I felt after my grandmother died. I wanted to tell a story that would touch the hearts of those suffering loss and show some ways we deal with grief. Learning this message had captured her attention, brought me comfort and a new connection to her. I read it out loud several times, in different rhythms to allow it to penetrate my soul and heal areas still raw years after her death.

I wondered what was happening when she underlined these words. She didn’t have an easy life; one of twelve children growing up on a farm in eastern North Carolina during the depression and World War II. She wasn’t one to complain, though, and she had a wonderful smile. She loved to laugh and found joy in simple things. Yet, she found the need to take note of these words of comfort.

When we’re in the midst of trials or facing great loss, we tend to question why God would allow our circumstances. Sometimes we’re suffering the consequences of our actions, other times it’s part of the decay ushered into the world after the first sin. Either way, if God didn’t allow us to experience these trials and provide the comfort we need to get through them, how could we ever be a comfort to others?

If you’re suffering right now, open your heart to God. Look to Him for hope that the hurting will end. Allow Him to pour out His comfort on your pain and heartache. He is an overflowing well of comfort, so never fear that He will run dry and leave you in pain. God is filling you so that one day you will be able to pour into others. Soak up that comfort, remember it so you are prepared to pass it on. 

Don’t forget to check out the resources page I am developing with content I have found encouraging, has taken me deeper in my walk with God, and generally builds my hope.

Tags: #amblogging, Christian bloggers, Comfort, Faith, God, Hope, Hope in tragedy, Rebekah Lyn, Why does God allow dark times and hardships?