When You Were Little...

What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.
2nd Corinthians 1:4 The Living Bible

I remember the first time my daughter stubbed her toe. I was holding her and her dad was trying to attend to her toe - It was bleeding profusely and she was crying and did not want anyone to touch it! She was just sure her toe was going to fall off. I told her, "Punkin, I did the same thing when I was a little girl. Your toe is not going to fall off. Now, let Daddy clean it up and put a band-aid on it so it can start to get better."  Later that evening, of course her toe was throbbing. However, she thought if there was a band-aid on it, there shouldn't be any pain. So, we had to explain the "getting better" process to her. Then she asked, "When you were little, and you did this, how many days till it got better?"

That incident set the pattern for almost all hurts and questions from that point on. "When you were little, did you have this...?" And having experienced it before she did - and lived through it - I was able to allay her fears and offer comfort. In fact, to this day, we still have the occasional exchange along those lines, "Mom, did you ever...?" and then she'll giggle and say, "When you were little..."

If you ever wonder how you can be expected to give thanks IN all things, especially when there are LOTS of things happening and none seem good, remember that God is trustworthy, and He so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials, so that we might comfort others. Thank Him for the opportunity to grow in compassion so you will be able to comfort those in your future who will need you to testify of God's faithfulness, to allay their fears and offer comfort, and to know how many days till it gets better. 

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for all Your comfort and strength through the years. Thank You for all You have taught us through the trials and hardships of life. Cause us to be aware of those who might need from us what You have given so freely. Help us always to remain teachable and to remain grateful for the lessons learned. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen