Comfort

I will comfort you as a mother comforts her child. You will be comforted in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 66:13 NIV)

With Mother’s Day upon us I am especially mindful of all those who have a gaping hole in their heart due to the loss of either a mother or a child or perhaps both. If that describes you, I pray that His unfailing love will bring you comfort.

I am blessed to be a mother to two emerging adults and have a mother still walking this earth. I guess I could be described as a mom in the middle. Maybe you fit that description too. There is so much to be said about mothers and their roles that I had a difficult time narrowing down my topic for this Mother’s Day post, but eventually my mind settled on the word comfort. Perhaps the reason is because I have seen that verb in action quite a bit recently on both the receiving end and the giving end.

Nothing made me appreciate my mother more than becoming a mother myself. What a demanding role, yet richly rewarding! As I wrote in a previous post, we WILL have trouble in this world. I have found over the years that when it strikes, my mom is always there to comfort me in the midst of it. Following surgery in 2011, I have experienced an extended period of health trouble and found myself in the ER one day last week after experiencing a new symptom. My mom showed up on my doorstep the next day to deliver some “comfort” in the form of food (and possibly for her own peace of mind).

My daughter has experienced her own set of health troubles over the past few months so I have had ample opportunity to comfort her in the midst of it. I can’t think of anything more heartwrenching than watching your child suffer. It’s an especially helpless feeling when fixing it is beyond your control. I can’t even fathom Mary watching Jesus being crucified. As mothers, we do whatever we can to help and often that includes providing comfort in whatever form that may take.

As I reflect on the word comfort, I am reminded of these verses written by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (1 Corinthians 1:2-4 NIV)

Comfort is a gift from God meant to be shared. Whether someone calls you “Mom” or not, pass that gift on to someone in need.

(Dedicated to my mom for always being there when I need her most – Mother’s Day 2014)