Comfort

His arms all but strangle me in their fierce grasp.  His tears and sweat smear my cheek.  I can barely hear the shuddering words.  There's nothing I can do but hold him tight and soak it up, absorb a bit of it into my own heart.  I can't fix it or make it go away.

I know one who will seldom be comforted, one that fights and resists the pain.  Attempts at comforting can easily provoke a snarl or even porcupine quills.  It's as though compassion will draw the pain to the surface where it can be felt--and this must be avoided at all costs.

I've been like that.  Refusing comfort, raging against the ache.  Shaking raised fist in refusal.  Trying to make it go away in all the wrong ways.

This fierce resistance is often perceived as strength while the shuddering sobs are seen as weakness...

My kids are memorizing the Beatitudes.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted...

Hardly the stuff of our heroes.  Once again, the inside-out-upside-down way that's counter-intuitive leads to wholeness.

Mourn.  Be comforted.

Raging against the pain won't make it better, won't make it go away...

Throw yourself into the arms of Papa, pour it all out...and soak up the comfort.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4a

Matthew 5:3-10

Extreme Hope

Last week my beautiful friend Jen sent me a text in which she said, "I bless you with extreme hope, abiding faith, extreme hope that preys on hopelessness."

It kind of blew my hair back.  It's like she had seen into a secret place and typed out one of my heart's desires.  It's a longing that has defied description, but she described it.  I've been savouring those words.

I have hope.  Lots of hope.  Hope is one of the words that defines my life.  My passion is to spread hope.

But I'm timid too.

Sometimes I'm afraid that you will think I don't understand the depth of your pain and disappointment.  And I might not.  Your pain may not the same as mine.  I haven't walked the same road you walk.  I don't want to seem insensitive.  I hesitate...not because I don't believe in the hope, not because I haven't experienced glorious hope, but because I'm afraid you might not believe me when I say it's for you too.  So I hold back.

Sometimes I consider the stories of others and wonder would I still have this hope if I'd gone through that?

I've decided that the answer is yes.  Hope isn't relative to circumstances.  People who have gone through "that" have told me that it's as real for them as it is for me--perhaps more so.  Hope is a confidence in the person of Jesus Christ, a firm expectation that God will do what He says He'll do.  That His plans are always good.  That He can make something beautiful out of the worst of human messes.

"Extreme hope that preys on hopelessness."

I receive that blessing, Jen.  I'm praying for a courage that won't hesitate to invite Hope into any and every situation.  I want to fearlessly wage war on hopelessness.

He will not crush those who are weak, 

or quench the smallest hope until he brings full justice with his final victory.

And His name will be the hope of all the world.

Matthew 12:20-21

Delight in the Details

I have a friend who's dealing with some big stuff...the kind where healing has been a long time in coming and a sometimes painful process. She recently went out on a date with her husband wherein they'd gone to a restaurant, to a coffee shop and for a walk. When she got home she discovered that one of her earrings was missing--a special one given to her by her husband for their 25th anniversary. You can imagine her feelings--sometimes things have a way of feeling like the "last straw". The next day her husband went back to the city and retraced their steps...no earring at the restaurant or coffee shop. Would you believe it that he found it in a gutter between the two places?

This story reminds me of one of my favorite verses:

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand."
(Psalm 37:23-24)

Life is full of big challenges. Sometimes they're the result of our own choices, sometimes the choices of others, and sometimes for no reason that we can understand. We'd love to be zapped out, rescued, "Beam me up, Scotty!", anything! We just want the pain to end. It's pretty normal to wonder at these times, "If God really cares..."

The glorious hope of the Gospel is that He does care. He invades our pain with kindness. While we wait for the answer to the Big Questions, He whispers of His love and delight in the small details of our lives. Rather than abandoning us to the consequences of sin, He sets us free, brings redemption, and heals our broken hearts.

His delight in the small details boosts my faith, renews my hope and helps me hold on. May you be blessed today by recognizing His love in the details of your life. May you be blessed with a desire to seek the face in the Father in the midst of the struggle. May He give you eyes to see His goodness. As you dwell on His loving kindness, may your heart be infused with courage to hang on.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!"
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
Lamentations3:22-26