Welcome to Buoy, a Life in Deeper Water podcast.

Episode 57.

I Need to Pay Attention to Comfort (assure those who need spiritual comfort that “God is Working”)

Hello human.

When I was in fifth grade, I had what I remember as my first very bad day. I had received a B on a book report, I jammed my toe on the wall doing sprints in gym class, and my best friend did not sit with me in the cafeteria at lunch. The walk home was painful and twice as long. All as I was about to enter the land of hormones. It is the first time I remember really feeling depressed. The elementary school ran along the highway, on the north side of town. My home was located on Main Street splitting the distance between the school and the modest downtown section on the south side of town. When I got to our block, I tried to speed up, but my toe was throbbing so much so that my gait was irregular, clumsy, and defying any momentum.

The closer I got I began to wonder if I smelled what I thought I smelled. I did. I stumbled up the porch steps and through the front door, to the aroma of “roll kuchen.” German roll kuchen. This was like a cruller though flat with a slit in the middle and a rectangular shape. Grandma was at the counter, rolling out and cutting the next batch of roll kuchen to deep fry. She took the current batch out of the cast iron skillet, dabbed the grease from them, and coated them in sugar. She got a plate, put two on the plate, and set it on the counter not in use, and said, “tell me about your day.” Followed by a glass of whole milk.

I jumped up on the counter, in that tiny kitchen with a window that looked out on the block I had just conquered. I immediately felt the sugar-dusted comfort and spilled out all that had happened while Grandma continued to work. And the depression fell away, replaced by her nodding, her confident use of a rolling pint, and her understanding of a day with a jammed toe. When she had finished rolling, she got ice, wrapped it in a dish towel, and applied it to my toe. And that pain too began to subside. It was a big deal to my fifth-grade heart, and just one of the thousands of ways she got me through elementary school. She was already shorter than me, but my Grandma Katie was a spiritual giant. I trusted my kid-life to her sagging bosom.

I Woke Up Thinking… I Need to Pay Attention to Comfort

Yesterday, I had a tough day physically. I pushed through and made my way to Bible study in the evening. I just didn’t want to miss the scriptures, the journey, the fellowship. Toward the end of the meeting, I felt like I had made a mistake. By the time I got home I felt so much worse. It was all I could do to prep for bed, take Tylenol and try to get comfortable, and warm. The comfort I felt from my husband, and my dog, the safe space we shared, space that did not require anything more from me, was such a place of rest. A gradual lessening of pain, that soon became sweet comfort. I felt protected, embraced, and loved. It was the only permission I needed to give in to sleep. It was such a powerful, peaceful, sweet assurance.

I woke up thinking, I need to pay attention to comfort. I need to pay attention to the Great Comforter in my life. God. Jesus. And the Holy Spirit. And I need to name it because I do not seek comfort naturally. I seek independence.

The Greek word for Comforter means “one called alongside.” The reason for one being called alongside is to give aid and help.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

 

It is true that when we have experiences grounded in suffering, we can be more empathetic with others who also have those experiences.

But my focus today is not on shared experiences, but on the sanctification process of being comforted by God. That it is in that moment we learn about, experience, take on His nature for attending to people, that we increase our commitment to providing comfort.

Although I have shared experiences grounded in physical comfort, I am really speaking of spiritual comfort. God is never a partial solution to our pain. He is the redeeming source of all mercy and comfort when we are hurting. Spiritually.

There are So Many People Who Need Spiritual Comfort

1 Corinthians 2:12-13

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

 

So, I am beginning to pay attention to how the people around me need spiritual comfort. God’s lessons can be tough. Sometimes a human needs the presence of “one called alongside” to provide assurances of God working.

God working. It’s that simple. It might look like this:

“I see the lesson God is putting before you. Sit with me for a while and let’s talk about it.”

Or maybe I say,

“I see that you are tired. Distraught. Confused by where God is leading you. Let’s grab lunch and get some clarity over comfort food.”

Or something like this,

“I see that you are spiritually weary, trying to understand God’s plan. Let’s get a coffee and celebrate His goodness in our lives. Let’s rest in His power.”

We Rest in His Nature

His nature makes it possible for us to rest. Physically, and spiritually. We rest in His nature. I can help people rest.

Suffering in this life can feel senseless. But when we have been comforted by God—strengthened, encouraged, relieved of a burden—we learn about how to administer comfort, and pass it on to others. God remains the source, and as a believer I am a messenger of God’s comfort to others who are suffering.

Through His nature, I can give others rest.

And we have the Holy Spirit as “one called alongside us” by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

John 14:26 (KJV)

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

 

The Holy Spirit soothes our spirit through tough times. In ways we don’t even see that we often miss, which is why I will say it again. I need to pay more attention to comfort.

And where it all started.

The Origin of Our Comfort is in His Suffering

The origin of our comfort is in Christ’s suffering on the Cross. We draw our comfort from His ultimate sacrifice for us.

We will never suffer more.

We will never need more comfort than Jesus asked of His Heavenly Father during His earthly journey.

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

His Heavenly Father resurrected Him. But not before the people crucified Him.

So, hey human, what more do we need than to embrace Paul’s words.

2 Corinthians 1:5

For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.