God of All Comfort

I try not to talk about my health issues very much because I feel like I'm just feeling sorry for myself - which many times I am - however, I ran across (funny how that works) a passage during my quiet time this morning that really hit home.  It just spoke to my heart in such a clear way that I felt that God wanted me to share.

A little background first - I no longer work outside the home because of health issues.  We have recently moved to North Carolina and live in a cabin on a mountain with only one neighbor in sight.  I have not met anyone here yet and have not started visiting churches due to the pain that is associated with a herniated disc. Because of this isolation, I feel that at this time and in this place, my ministry has to be through written word to unknown receivers.  I am trusting God that He will deliver my heart through my words to those who can be comforted and find faith in Jesus my savior.

I have been struggling with severe back and leg pain for the last six months.  An MRI was finally ordered and revealed that I had a herniated disc that was pinching my nerve root causing sciatic pain.  While I was not happy with this diagnosis, it at least gave me hope of a cure.  However, to make a long story short, I am not a good candidate for surgery due to my other issues.  So I find myself with only the hope that God will cure or give me the strength and mercy to function with the pain and limited ability.

I happened to read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 this morning. As is often the case, I find that during my quiet times, if I read long enough, God is going to speak to me about something I'm struggling with or something that a friend is struggling with.  This morning was no exception:

"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"

Note - Here is a promise that God will comfort us in all of our affliction and what is amazing is that the God of the universe goes on to give us an answer to our question "why must we suffer"

"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 we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."

Wow!!  My suffering isn't in vain - not only is God going to comfort me but he is also going to use my pain to help others in their pain - he even says that I will share in the pain of Christ - I can't even get my head around this completely, but when I look at my suffering compared to Christ's suffering - this is a reality check and a sure fire cure for feeling sorry for myself.

"If we are afflicted it is for your comfort and salvation: and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort."

Here is another blow to my ego as Paul reminds us of his sufferings, but we already have the promise that God comforts us in all of our afflictions - he doesn't use a scale.  Notice also that Paul says our afflictions can result in salvation!  What more could we ask for?  This makes my pain bearable and that is comfort in itself,  but Paul also tells the Corinthians that his hope for them is unshaken.  He turns the suffering around - he doesn't dwell on it and question it - his love and hope is for those who he ministers to.  My prayer is that God will give me this love for others that will outweigh my pain and circumstances.  Paul goes on to explain the depth of his despair.

"For we do not want you to be unaware brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.  For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death."

Paul completely opens his heart here when he talks about the depth of his affliction to the point of death!  But in the next verse he is quick to give a heavenly reason for even this extensive pain.

"But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us."

Bingo!  He brings it home.  Sometimes God allows pain, suffering or a dangerous situation to make us not rely on ourselves but on Him!  This makes my anxiety drop as I stop trying to "fix" things and simply go to Him for my comfort and His answer to whatever it is I'm going through.  Next Paul makes a confirming statement that we can adopt for ourselves.

"On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again."

Paul finishes off with the reason for prayer.

"You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."

I never stop being amazed at the Bible and how it speaks to our individual problems.  There is so much content in these few verses, so much wisdom, comfort, direction and truth!

Whatever your affliction might be - death of a loved one, an illness, a hurtful relationship, finances --- you are promised that if you turn to God for your comfort, He will not only provide the mercy that you seek but He will also use it to comfort others -- even to the point of their salvation.  The hurtful and painful situations that we find ourselves in can be used to the glory of His name and will allow us to play a part in the building of His kingdom!  Instant relief is not promised - comfort is promised, furthering God's kingdom is promised, as well as salvation.

I don't know what you are going through but it is my prayer that you will find comfort from God through my words and that they may point you to Jesus who suffered the ultimate sacrifice in order for those of us who believe to find our eternal comfort.  I would love to hear from you!  I love reading comments!  I don't confess to have all the answers but I know who does!

Have a blessed day!
Meschill

Why Stampin' Up! (Part 4)

Happy Monday!  At last, the final chapter in my little story.  I hope at least some of you have enjoyed it.  I think it has been a bit therapeutic for me, but I promise in future posts not to be quite as introspective and actually provide you with some useful information.

Although I wasn’t scrapbooking for several years I continued to stamp.  I loved making cards and other gifts for people.  During this time, I dabbled with another company – Stampin’ Up!, which I believe is the best rubberstamping company in existence.   The stamps are awesome and their system of color coordination among ink, markers, paper, ribbon, and embellishments is wonderful.  I was also working at the time and once again gave up this endeavor due to a lack of time.

At this point, the setting will change.  Fast forward several years and a move across the country.  I once again wanted to work from home and tried a short stint with a skin care company and while I loved the products, my heart just wasn’t in it.  I also started a teaching job but had to quit due to medical issues once again.  So here we are at the present time and finally I am getting to the question of why I have become a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator.  After explaining my history with scrapbooking and rubberstamping, I hope that question is easy to answer.  No other occupation – and I have tried several – has meant so much to me.  This is something that I love, that I am passionate about, and that I believe in.  Especially with our present age of technology – a handmade, handwritten card can mean so much to a friend or family member.  Through this hobby, ( I hate to call it that but to call it a way of life seems a little overdramatic), once again I hope to inspire others and watch them experience the friends that can be made and the lives that can be changed through scrapbooking, rubberstamping, and expressing oneself through art.

So there you have – not quite in a nutshell – my heart and desire to return to my first love.

Coming up - my next few posts will be about our adventures as my best friend, Debbie, visits for two weeks.  

We always have a great time together and love to share things that we find.  You will also be graced by her photography.  I will share with you the places we visit, the projects we attempt, and who knows what else.  If you want a sneak peak of how we roll, read my posts from one of our junking trips to Dallas here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Meschill