This week in our chapel service, we talked about the fact that everyone experiences difficult times in life; times of sadness and sorrow. As a chaplain I have sat with many people who are hurting and listened as they shared their cares and concerns. I have heard people speak of how they have been comforted during some very tough trials. Although they are still grieving, they lovingly speak of what sustains them. They speak of the way their faith, family, and friends support them. They speak of the strength received from prayer and reading scripture. They speak of the comfort received simply by having someone else sit with them, supporting them silently with their presence. As I reflect on these things, I am often reminded of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the same comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Cor. 1:3-4

In our lives we will all experience hurts and heartaches, sorrows, and sadness. That is why it is so important for us to know that God is with us and He can comfort and strengthen us in even the most difficult of situations. God is full of grace and mercy, and He longs to share His grace and mercy with us. If you are facing some difficulty today, I hope you know you can turn to God and lean on Him. I pray that you will receive His comfort and be strengthened.

And I pray that you will know that even our difficult days and our seasons of sorrow are not wasted. For one day, God will use us to comfort someone else with the same comfort we received from Him. God will use us to strengthen and support someone else who is hurting. God will work in us and through us to share His grace, His mercy, and His comfort with others.