Costly Comfort

There are times when someone puts a hand on your arm and immediately their gentle look and touch tell you that they know. They KNOW. And their words and actions are a gift of costly comfort.

They do not speak tritely or out of a Christianeze handbook. They know deeply whereof they speak. They, too, have been desperate for comfort, frantic for belief. They are passing along the very lifeline that pulled them from the icy waters of despair and defeat. They are offering the same soul-saving comfort that revived them. They are handing off a piece of the comfort which nurtured them in a desert time.

Having that kind of comfort to share means that they have been in a place of suffering and have returned with their arms overflowing with enough to pass along.

Such were the dear ones who stopped me in the aisle, opened up the Word and read …

The mystery of the multiplication of comfort is inconceivable. Down through thousands of years, the tenderness of His touch is passing from one to another to yet another. Over and over and over. The supernatural ministry of God Himself through the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. And He uses our hands, our voices, our hugs, our thoughtfulness, and sometimes our quiet presence.

And the beauty of costly comfort is wondrously multi-faceted; it comes in so many different forms. When I think back I am amazed at the variety of ways that God has brought comfort.

Verses of Scripture and words of affirmation in cards,

tea time delivered in a UPS box,

special delivery chocolate covered fruit,

a sharing friend entrusting me with a vintage quilt journal,

caladiums to plant in my yard (which reminds me of the Caladium Capitol of the World – ie Lake Placid, FL – and the lake house refuge we have known there),

a little quilt made especially for me with the vintage things I love,

a festive freedom celebration,

breakfast lovingly served – with cinnamon syrup from a dear one,

the wonder of nesting baby birds,

storytime via FaceTime,

a quick and quiet visit in a waiting room, dinner and card games with friends, a CD of reinforcing music, phone calls and emails and text messages and hugs and the list goes on and on.

May we watch for ways to multiply the costly comfort from our faith journey by comforting someone else as we have been comforted. (I need to get busy – I’ve got a lot to pass along!)

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 may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction,

with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings,

so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too

II Corinthians 1:3-5