The Promise of Comfort
Good Morning Girls! I know I said Monday that I was going to be talking about goals...specifically health goals...but there is something else on my heart this morning. For those of you who were really counting on some exercise or healthy food choice encouragement...let me quick say this: step away from the 2 week old Christmas cookie.....and move your body for 20 minutes today! Don't worry about tomorrow. Just get through today. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients, put it down. If you feel too tired to exercise...tough. As NIKE has so eloquently put it: JUST DO IT! I promise you will feel better.
Yesterday I tag teamed the HomeMakers teaching with Renee. Renee did the opening , closing, and prepared the study sheet (basically, she did all the hard stuff). I spoke in the middle. The title was Being Scrappy in the Midst of Difficulty. Or something like that. My contribution was the example of being scrappy. After all, I had just come out of the most difficult time in my life....and it was by being a scrapper...a fighter....and then by allowing the other scrappers in my life to support me when I was down for the count....that really brought me to the place I am at today.
And that place that I am at today is the peace that passes all understanding that we read about in Philippians 4:7. It promises we will experience God's peace and it will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus. I truly believe that is the place I am at. Yes, things come up that remind me of my dad, and I cry, but it is not out of pain and sorrow. It is simply out of remembering something sweet. It is about missing him. It is not about wondering how I can possibly move on with my life. It is about wondering what I can do with my life.
At first I struggled with this peace. I felt like maybe I was betraying my dad. I questioned it. "Is it right that I should feel this good so soon?" I wondered if I was maybe in denial. I wondered if I was stuffing everything down deep. To make matters worse, when I would tell someone I had been in a really bad spot, but now I was doing very well, they would respond in such a way that confirmed my fears. They say things like "Oh, you will return to that place", or "It took me years to really feel good", or "Just wait.....it will catch up with you again". Now these people were not trying to be negative. They were speaking from their own experience. They were trying to nicely prepare me for a sudden crash. I know their hearts were pure in looking out for me. It's funny how everyone says "I have been praying for peace and comfort for your family", and then when you tell them you have it, they look at you like you need medication! Let me assure you....PRAYER WORKS! When you prayer for someone to have peace....don't be surprised when peace is given to them. Instead, Praise the Lord for using you to impart this peace and comfort. Can I get an Amen!?
I don't doubt for a second there will be days when my heart feels heavy with grief. My family has so many traditions that each one without my dad will be difficult. However, having a heavy heart from time to time does not mean I will go back to the cliff edge of doom. There are times now when even as I shed a tear, I have peace in my heart.
My sister called the other night. She is where I was at a couple of weeks ago. It is hard to be on the other end, but at least I can comfort her through it. As she spoke, I wondered if I had really experienced the full grief that I thought I had. I wondered if I was going to be calling her sobbing saying I couldn't do it without my dad. But then she said to me, " I watched you go through this a couple of weeks ago. I could see you were in a bad place. I felt so sad for you. I wasn't sure how you were going to get out of it. It makes me feel better to know you did....it gives me hope that I will too."
And that is what it is all about. It is not me saying "Yeah me....I feel good now!" It is about God....once again showing us that His Word is true. It is the Word in action. He is the Alpha and the Omega....seems fitting that He should get the last word don't you think? The Word in action that I am talking about is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. It explains to me how, or better yet why it is that I now feel so strong. Not only do I wake up each morning feeling comforted and at peace, but I wake up ready and able to comfort someone else who is hurting. It is the Word in action my dear Girls.......trust in it!
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 All praise to God, the Father our of 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. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Love, thanks, blessing, peace, and comfort to you all-(boy my list keeps getting longer)
Jen
Yesterday I tag teamed the HomeMakers teaching with Renee. Renee did the opening , closing, and prepared the study sheet (basically, she did all the hard stuff). I spoke in the middle. The title was Being Scrappy in the Midst of Difficulty. Or something like that. My contribution was the example of being scrappy. After all, I had just come out of the most difficult time in my life....and it was by being a scrapper...a fighter....and then by allowing the other scrappers in my life to support me when I was down for the count....that really brought me to the place I am at today.
And that place that I am at today is the peace that passes all understanding that we read about in Philippians 4:7. It promises we will experience God's peace and it will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus. I truly believe that is the place I am at. Yes, things come up that remind me of my dad, and I cry, but it is not out of pain and sorrow. It is simply out of remembering something sweet. It is about missing him. It is not about wondering how I can possibly move on with my life. It is about wondering what I can do with my life.
At first I struggled with this peace. I felt like maybe I was betraying my dad. I questioned it. "Is it right that I should feel this good so soon?" I wondered if I was maybe in denial. I wondered if I was stuffing everything down deep. To make matters worse, when I would tell someone I had been in a really bad spot, but now I was doing very well, they would respond in such a way that confirmed my fears. They say things like "Oh, you will return to that place", or "It took me years to really feel good", or "Just wait.....it will catch up with you again". Now these people were not trying to be negative. They were speaking from their own experience. They were trying to nicely prepare me for a sudden crash. I know their hearts were pure in looking out for me. It's funny how everyone says "I have been praying for peace and comfort for your family", and then when you tell them you have it, they look at you like you need medication! Let me assure you....PRAYER WORKS! When you prayer for someone to have peace....don't be surprised when peace is given to them. Instead, Praise the Lord for using you to impart this peace and comfort. Can I get an Amen!?
I don't doubt for a second there will be days when my heart feels heavy with grief. My family has so many traditions that each one without my dad will be difficult. However, having a heavy heart from time to time does not mean I will go back to the cliff edge of doom. There are times now when even as I shed a tear, I have peace in my heart.
My sister called the other night. She is where I was at a couple of weeks ago. It is hard to be on the other end, but at least I can comfort her through it. As she spoke, I wondered if I had really experienced the full grief that I thought I had. I wondered if I was going to be calling her sobbing saying I couldn't do it without my dad. But then she said to me, " I watched you go through this a couple of weeks ago. I could see you were in a bad place. I felt so sad for you. I wasn't sure how you were going to get out of it. It makes me feel better to know you did....it gives me hope that I will too."
And that is what it is all about. It is not me saying "Yeah me....I feel good now!" It is about God....once again showing us that His Word is true. It is the Word in action. He is the Alpha and the Omega....seems fitting that He should get the last word don't you think? The Word in action that I am talking about is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. It explains to me how, or better yet why it is that I now feel so strong. Not only do I wake up each morning feeling comforted and at peace, but I wake up ready and able to comfort someone else who is hurting. It is the Word in action my dear Girls.......trust in it!
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 All praise to God, the Father our of 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. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Love, thanks, blessing, peace, and comfort to you all-(boy my list keeps getting longer)
Jen
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