“He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us . . .” (2 Cor. 1:4 MSG).
Have you ever been pulled into someone else’s painful narrative? You’ve suffered the pain of losing a loved one. Or you know what it’s like to be left behind. You might be sitting in a waiting room right now.
Maybe against your own judgment, you’ve stepped in and walked the road of suffering with someone else. You may even feel like you’ve been forced into carrying their burden, like Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross for Jesus.
As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26 NIV)
If you’ve ever had to carry an impossible load, you know what it’s like to have someone else step in and help you.
I’ve been blessed by the rare friend who stops and reminds me that I’m not alone on my journey. Sometimes just a brief phone call, email, or text message from a concerned loved one gives me the strength to face the day. And in this day of social media, even a “like” or comment on Facebook, a “retreat” or “favorite” on Twitter, or a comment on your blog can bring the encouragement you need.
We wonder what good could ever come out of our times of crisis? Then, we’re drawn into the waiting room with someone else.
God often brings us alongside someone else who needs the same comfort that we have received.
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading. (Oswald Chambers)
As I watch the video below, I’m reminded of the power of our comfort. I’ve been on both sides of the fence–the one who needed support and the one who waited. Have you?
Did this post remind you of an experience in your life? Be sure to tell us about your story in the comment space below.
Photo/KarenJordan
YouTube/Austin Stonnell (“Massive Heard of Elk in Montana”)
