Walk a mile in my shoes
It can be difficult to fully understand when a person is going through trials. It can be easy to judge and offer human solutions.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says:
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
I've found such wisdom and comfort in the Word. I've also found that there are many people who have experienced hardship. They seem to be the ones who understand best. Someone who has been there and walked a similar path.
I continually pray and thank God for providing me with comfort through the gift of friendship and love.
Have you experienced hardship and heartache? Is there someone you know who is going through something similar?
May I encourage you to reach out to them. Pray for them, send a card or simply listen. It's a wonderful gift to offer.
Blessings and love,
this is such a good word! i love the
ReplyDeletegrace you extend to so many.
there's a mommy at "findingjoy" who
is going through an excruciating
time with her baby.
Lord, we all lift her up to you!
You are so right! One of the blessings we receive through hardships is God compassion. With that compassion, we are able to encourage others. I've had examples of that in life so many times...people have come alongside me when I was going through difficulties and have lifted me up. Then, in turn, God has given me opportunities to share that same encouragement with others. Our God is so good! He never, ever wastes a hurt.
ReplyDeleteLiving for Him! Joan
Prayer and sending notes are two of my favorite ways to reach out to others. I agree that going through a valley helps us each become more sensitive to what others are going through.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteDebbie so true and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLoveyou!
Jill
Definately! The reality of this leads one to (afterwards) be thankful for the trials, because of the joy in giving comfort and helping another to navigate through something you have endured...
ReplyDeleteI love the photograph too!
AMEN...AMEN...AMEN!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, sweet friend!
Blessings,
andrea
Wonderful thoughts and SO true! May we all help and bless people through our experiencing hard times. Let our light's shine! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteHope your having a great weekend!
It's so good to know our suffering has great purpose, and the Lord can use it for His glory as we reach out to those who are suffering, and offer encouragement and not advice. I used to think giving advice was helpful, but it was brought to my attention that people only want advice if they ask for it. That was a tough lesson I had to learn.
In regard to your questions about hardship/heartache; I have experienced it all to the point of wanting to die. I learned a lot from those periods of my life, and the Lord has used that to help me learn how to deal with current trials that I'm in, and also has shown me that in the midst of my own trials there are other people suffering as well, and that I need to learn to think about others needs before my own.
He's teaching me to think outwardly, not inwardly, and after so many years of thinking inwardly it feels so much better to be on the road to being free from that bondage. All to His glory. Amen!
God bless you
awesome advice, love you.
ReplyDeleteHe is truly an awesome God! That when He starts His work in us, it doesn't stop there. He wants us to share it with others and for them to experience His grace and love and other spiritual blessings through us, broken vessels.
ReplyDeleteSo many are hurting and I'm glad you're reminding us that even if it is us going through tough times, we can still continue to share His love with others as He comforted us. Blessings and love to you sister.
P.S.
ReplyDeleteLove to walk those miles with awesome sisters/friends here in blogland...Thank you for your prayers.
This is so right on target.
ReplyDeleteI have been there for a friend going through a divorce.
Such mixed emotions.
She said it helped just by my being there for moral support.
Dear Debbie, you know that I'm in school again..and this semester I'm taking a CNA course. Our instructor is a nurse. Our class is small, only 10 of us. And the Lord has opened the door for me, and allowed me to share what my sister went through, and how her untimely death 6 weeks before graduating from nursing school has been a way for God to increase my faith, and share Him with others. I never imagined that He would open doors for me to share this, our family's tragedy and His healing grace, with my college classmates! Even though I have no idea what my future holds, I know for certain that this is where He has placed me, and there's a reason more than "getting an education," for me being in school again, especially at my age.
ReplyDeleteHe allows us to endure such heartaches, and carries us through them, so that we may in turn point others to The Healer, The Great Physician, in their time of need.
Thanks so much for this encouragement. I sure have missed keeping up with your blog.
Sending hugs! :)
Love and thanks for being my friend,
Tammi
that is so true. it's so easy to give advice to people, but we'll never really know the pain they're going through unless we walk in their shoes.
ReplyDeleteyes, i got to know someone who has a similar case as mine. we encourage each other often. i am able to tell her things and she'd believe that i understand her because i am walking the same road as she is.
it's so nice that you remember me with the movie marley and me. i love that movie!
You're right....so many people around us are hurting....our pastor often says that there are some around (us church) that have a smile on their face, but are hurting inside....and we need to lift each other up!
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed Sunday!
~Beth
That should be "at church"...sorry!
ReplyDelete~Beth
So, so agree and I so hope I learn this true lesson for my whole life...just spent a full weekend with a dear friend going through so much.
ReplyDeleteHugs, hugs, hugs,