Read Message

bigmike

Sharing Comfort
Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and 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. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:2-5
For years Bob Greene was one of the most popular columnists at the Chicago Tribune. His articles often told stories of ordinary people who had touched the lives of others. One of his columns told the story of a fifteen-year-old boy named Douglas Maurer who had been diagnosed with leukemia. The doctors told him he would need three years of intense chemotherapy, and the side effects would be severe. Douglas was quite discouraged, and one of his aunts decided to send flowers through a florist. When he got the flowers, there was a note tucked inside that read: “Douglas—I took your order. I work at Brix Florist. I had leukemia when I was 7 years old. I'm 22 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you. Sincerely, Laura Bradley.”
Greene concluded his column: “It's funny. Douglas Maurer was in a hospital filled with millions of dollars of the most sophisticated medical equipment. He was being treated by expert doctors and nurses with medical training totaling in the hundreds of years. But it was a salesclerk in a flower shop, a woman making $170 a week, who by taking the time to care, and by being willing to go with what her heart told her to do gave Douglas hope and the will to carry on.”
All around us there are people who are going through difficult circumstances. A simple word, card, or gift of encouragement, especially from someone who shares their experiences can make all the difference. The same comfort we receive from God is meant to be passed on and shared with others.
It is never the wrong time to say something comforting and encouraging to someone in need.
___

Date: