Comfort Training

There are many hurting people in this world. Many of them don’t even know they are hurting. They just know that something is wrong in their lives and they don’t know how to “fix” it. That was me. For years I suffered periodic bouts of depression, anxiety, and feelings of such low self esteem that I honestly believed that I must have done something to cause this to happen to me. I mean, that’s what I was always told. Hearing “You brought this on yourself,” repeatedly over the years, one begins to believe it truly is your fault that you are this way. 

But I didn’t bring it on myself. It wasn’t my fault. And it’s not yours, either. The various people in my life who had always blamed me for my emotional issues are the very people who had kept me in the state I was in. At least, until May. Because that was the night that the Lord reached down and said, “Enough!”

[God] 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. ~2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)

Little did I know back in May that the comfort God was giving me was to be distributed, by me, to others. At least, I didn’t know HOW I was going to do it. I also did not know to what degree I would be giving comfort. I just knew that I would, and that I needed to be ready and available.

I have spoken with many people in the last few months. I have told my story. And I have had many women come to me and say, “When you were speaking, I was certain that you were telling MY story!” How ironic that the things we have been through ran parallel to one another. That’s how God works.

He takes each of us on a journey. Then, He gives each one of us a story to tell. A story that will in some way, help someone else. Just as the verse above says. God comforts us so that we can comfort others in the same way. Someone, somewhere, is going through the same thing you’ve been through. And someday God will set up a Divine Appointment for you to meet, so that you can comfort and encourage that person.

You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. ~Acts 1:8 (NIV)

Until that time, He is working on you, preparing you, training you, and getting you ready for your Appointment. I never realized that through all those years, I was being trained for this moment. I was getting my “Comfort Training.” Not to bring attention to myself, but to testify to what God has done for me. For those little moments when I share my story and then someone comes to me and says, “Thank you for sharing what you’ve been through. It really encouraged me.”

Never underestimate God… or how far He will go to reach someone. 

Here I am Lord… send me!