“Blessed be . . . the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
My friend Misti miscarried her baby girl, Piper, shortly before she was to be born. In the years since the loss of Piper, Misti and her husband have suffered greatly. It is as though they’ve been walking through the valley of the shadow of death even as they experienced new joys and the birth of a healthy son, Griffin.
In conversations with Misti about faith, I have shared her search for meaning in the midst of her loss. It’s difficult. Nobody but God really knows all of the answers. Something happened the other day, however, which redeems Misti’s situation in a small way. It happened when she heard about a woman who lost her baby at full term.
“My heart just broke,” Misti told me. “I knew God was telling me to go and talk to her.”
Even though it was hard, she spoke to the woman. And by reaching out, she was able to help another person who suffered a loss similar to hers. The woman told her that no one else had understood the way Misti did. Misti was able to see into her heart and offer hope.
I’m not saying this is the reason God allowed Misti or this lady—or anyone else—to suffer. For most of us the pain still wouldn’t be worth it even if that were true. I don’t know all of the answers or the reasons He allows suffering. But I’ve seen through this situation that we can choose to trust Him and look for the good in anything—and it’s a part of our own healing when we do.
Faith step: Elisabeth Elliot writes, “Repeatedly throughout our lives we encounter the roadblock of suffering. What do we do with it? Our answer will determine what we can say to another who needs comfort.” Allow Jesus to comfort you today, so that you may extend His comfort to others.
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