Day Fifteen

Day Fifteen // March 5 // Comforting

“Listen to God with a broken heart. He is not only the doctor who mends it, but also the father who wipes away the tears.” – Criss Jami –

One of the great promises of faith is found in Matthew 11:28-30 when Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” What a tremendous promise! But the promise is accessed by people, through those who follow Jesus and who’re committed to being His hands in the world. An integral part of our discipleship should be the offering of comfort to people who are weary, carrying heavy burdens, and overwhelmed by the challenges of life. In those moments, we know that Jesus loves us but His

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love is made manifest to the hurting through those who bear His name.

The ministry of comfort is a work in which we all must share. As we participate, we need to remember that our words matter. To offer comfort, we must know that the most gracious words we can share when a person is dealing with loss are “I can’t imagine.”

Those three words dignify another’s loss – their pain, and their feelings. Following the words, “I can’t imagine,” we should not be tempted to define their grief with our words. Insert no words such as pain, anger, devastation, hopelessness, helplessness, etc. Any word inserted is how we would feel and may or may not address their feelings.

A heartfelt “I can’t imagine” is sufficient and compassionate. It communicates, “I care. You matter to me. I’m here to listen. You are in my prayers.” Our words matter, so we need to choose them wisely. Our intention is to comfort the hurting rather than deepening their wounds with our words, so we should pause a moment and consider carefully how we would feel hearing the words we are about to say.

We should avoid platitudes or words that minimize another’s pain. Most importantly, we should not try to explain what God is doing in another’s suffering. God’s greater plan may take a long time to unfold, so we should withhold any words that might be misinterpreted as judgmental on our part. We learn that we don’t always know God’s plan – even when it seems painfully

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evident. Remember, we can be the hands of Christ in times of great trial. Our words can offer great comfort and peace. Those hurting will thank us for fewer words with deeper meaning!

When people are hurting, remember our actions speak volumes. Little acts take on big importance in times of crisis. Show up. Listen. Give hugs. Bring food – whether a homemade casserole, a pre-sliced ham, turkey breast, or simply grab-and-go food. It matters not.

What matters is that we show up… and that we keep showing up. Constantly keep in touch through phone calls or text messages. And if we leave a message, don’t expect a response. The very act of remembering brings comfort to people. And most of all, pray for that person. So often when we pray, God will put an idea in our head or heart regarding that person. Follow through on that nudge! It has a way of being what they most need.

We are the hands of Christ. In a hurting world that needs Christ’s comfort, will we pray: “Lord here I am, send me. Use me to bring Your peace and rest!”