When God Gives and Takes {Part 2}

Here is part two of When God Gives and Takes.  (Read part one here.)

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I think of that passage in Corinthians about God being the God of comfort and His comfort then being the avenue for us to then comfort others.  In the days soon after our miscarriage, I clung to this statement of incredible truth about God.  He said He would comfort.  I can trust Him to do it here. Now. In the days to come.  In some way, in some very real, tangible way, He will give comfort to my aching soul in this time of need. 

And He did comfort and continues to comfort.   Day by day, moment by moment, at each moment of great need, His comfort has come in many ways…His Word, prayer, my husband, friends and family, songs…the list could go on. 

Being comforted with God’s comfort doesn’t mean the pain goes away or that tears instantly dry up.  It doesn’t mean all questions have been answered.   But in some strange way, pain and ensuing comfort does help us to avert our eyes from the here and now and see a God who cares, who sees our sorrow, and who is greater than our circumstances, working to make us as refined gold being shaped into His glorious image.  The reality of God’s comfort helps us to say as Job said, even while in the midst of sorrow: “blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21) and behold our God and worship Him.   

Pain reminds us that earth and life is merely our temporary home and makes us long even more for the day when creation’s groanings because of the effects of sin  will come to an end.   So we look forward to that unseen, yet promised, hope.  One day we will be glorified and will be with Him, the One who gave His life for us because He loved us back when we were His enemies.  We will see Him and will be like Him.  Oh that will be glory!  This temporary suffering in life is not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed.  The hope gives us perseverance in this life. (Romans 8:18-25)

 Pain makes God’s love all the more real, because no matter how great the suffering is, God‘s love is greater.  (Romans 8:35-39)

 Pain makes us vulnerable and reveals how helpless we are in doing anything about our pain…unless we entrust it to a God who can do something about it.  And when He does, He gets the glory.

Pain rattles our cage and wakes us up to the reality of life.  Comfort then steps in to show us that there are others out there who are hurting even more than we are.  God’s comfort and grace help motivate us to do something to also comfort those who are hurting, especially those of the Body of Christ.   Many times, God’s comfort comes in the form of those around us extending words and deeds of encouragement.  Many times, He wants to use us to be His hands and feet to bring comfort to others. 

Even as I write all this, the tears come again and again and never seem to have an end.  I don’t really understand why God gave us our precious little ones for only a few short weeks.  But I know He is good, and every good and perfect gift comes from above.  He only does what is best for His children.  Can I trust Him with my burden of sorrow and find joy in Him?  By His grace, I can, one minute at a time, and continue to bless His name.