The Great Comforter

Have you ever felt as if the walls were closing in on you? Overwhelmed and confused? As if you can’t take your misery a moment longer. You want your answer, NOW! You want God to answer your prayer, right this very moment. You’re tired of waiting and hoping, only to be disappointed again and again.

I think we have all been there. Life is hard for everyone! We all struggle with some type of adversity, daily. We all have battles that bring us to our knees and threaten to break us. We all struggle with the inner turmoil of heartache and grief, but during the darkest times of our lives, we find, we all have a Comforter. Whether or not we admit it or recognize it, God comforts us all.

Sometimes we just need to embrace our comfort and not fight against it or ignore it. So often when I feel overwhelmed, I know I just need to pray. Anytime I bow my head and began to cry from my heart, I know God hears me and I know He will always HELP me. He doesn’t always answer my prayer and fix my problem right then, but He will calm me and give me peace with it all.

Sometimes He will put a song on my heart and bless me to sing it. The words often give me hope and reassurance that everything will be okay. They help me lift my head and look toward God, the author and finisher of my faith. They remind me that He has a plan and He will take care of it all in His time.

Sometimes He gives me scripture. A place in the bible will come to my mind and I will look up the verses God wants me to read. And not only will He bless me to read them, but every once in awhile He will bless me to understand them.

Right in the middle of writing this blog entry, I found out a dear sweet friend passed away. She had battled cancer for a long time, with her faith and trust in God. She was a warrior for Him. Regardless of her battle she always praised God. She always saw the rainbow, instead of the storm.

I’m heartbroken. I always believed she would get better. I wanted her to be able to raise her kids, and watch them grow. I can’t imagine how her family feels. I can’t imagine the pain a child must endure when they lose their Mommy. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, nor a sister or spouse. But I do know they are not alone. God is holding each and every one hurting. He is comforting them with His strength and love.

When I think of her, I think of a beautiful smile and kindness. And when I look to God, I can be thankful she lived and that I was blessed to know her. I know this is the best day she has ever had. I know God sent His angel to carry her home. She’s not in any pain. And she accomplished more in her short life than many will in their lifetime—because she believed in God and told everyone about Him and His greatness.

That’s something we should all leave behind to our loved ones—a testimony of our faith and belief in God. None of us know when our time will end. We don’t have the promise of tomorrow. But we all have a chance to believe in this great God.

We have the opportunity to be saved. We have the opportunity to live our lives so someone may see God in us. We don’t always understand why good people suffer. We don’t understand how they can praise God during their dying hour. We don’t understand how they can love and believe in a God who allows them to suffer. But the bible tells us it is a great honor to suffer for Christ’s sake. And that’s where that Great Comforter comes in. He can give peace during the storm and allow the rainbow to triumph. I’m not saying that I’m good, but one night I was lying in bed in terrible pain with a smile on my face because God has blessed my life so abundantly. When His sweet peace stirs our soul the worry, fear, pain, and heartache disappear.

God has a time and reason for everything. And His grace and mercy are boundless. We just have to be patient and wait on the Lord. In His time He will give us the desires of our heart—even though we can’t see it at the time. How many times have we prayed for a loved one who is sick and we ask God to heal them—to stop their suffering?  When they die we often can’t see it as a blessing, but to them it is because their suffering is over and they’re resting in the arms of the Lord. Our tears are for us. Our loss is Heaven’s gain.

One night, a few years ago, I was sitting on my deck wondering about the purpose of my hands. As I stared at my hands a great light shined upon them, which resembled angel wings. Please don’t misunderstand me in no way do I think I’m any type of angel. In fact, at the time it bothered me because I couldn’t understand it. But God showed me that sometimes we suffer so that others may see Him through us. When people see me struggle to do a simple task, with a smile on my face praising the Lord, it shows them there is something inside me far greater than anything of the world.

Whenever we watch one of God’s mighty warriors in battle for the Lord, it strengthens us all. We watch how they handle adversity and strife. We watch as they exemplify remarkable faith and trust in the Lord. We watch as they show us all how we should live our lives. And in their dying hour, they will show us how to die. As the tears roll down our face, we feel as if we’ve been in the presence of a remarkable angel—one meant to lead us to God and give us a little glimpse of His love.