Covered in Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4, NIV).

I was milling around the house on a Saturday morning getting a few chores done when my phone buzzed. I picked it up and found a text from a friend that read: What are you most thankful for? Other than Jesus! Lol.

Initially, it felt difficult to narrow down what I’m most thankful for into one thing. However, as I continued to work on tasks around the house while pondering the question, I realized my answer was pretty obvious. I grabbed my phone and typed out my answer: My relationships.

We continued to text back and forth a bit and my mind stirred regarding thankfulness. During the holidays, specifically the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I always find myself feeling such a mix of joy and longing. The lights, the music, the fellowship, and most of all, celebrating the birth of Jesus always brings me so much joy! Yet, there remains a deep longing in my heart to have a family of my own with whom to share these occasions. (Social media can make this time of year especially difficult). Over the course of the last several years, I’ve come to understand that it is not uncommon to experience opposite emotions simultaneously.

As weird as it might sound, I used to think this wasn’t “allowed.” The enemy had, at times through comments from well-intentioned friends, convinced me that because I continue to feel a longing in my heart for a husband and family that it meant I wasn’t grateful to God for all the blessings He has bestowed on my life. The more I’ve grown spiritually, the more I’ve come to realize that is completely opposite of the truth.

Have you ever felt happiness and grief at the same time? Have you ever felt thankfulness and longing at the same time? Have you ever felt sadness and hope at the same time? Have you ever felt anger and empathy at the same time?

Emotions are complex. I truly believe they are meant to inform us, but they aren’t meant to dictate our actions, and ultimately, our joy. The more I processed the question posed by my friend, the more I allowed myself to ponder the things in my life I’m grateful for. Let me give you one example. Admittedly, I am not a fan of daylight savings time. Each year when the clocks falls back in early November it takes me time to adjust. Shorter, darker days, and, typically, colder weather. This year I decided to put my Christmas decorations up a bit earlier, because there’s just something so joyful about the twinkling of Christmas lights as the sun goes down with much of the evening remaining. It has been during the dark, colder, evening hours over the last month or so that I have found myself feeling especially thankful.

The morning after my friend and I texted about gratitude, I woke in the early morning hours before my alarm. A safe home. A comfortable bed. Clean sheets. Warm blankets. A roof over my head. A working furnace to provide heat. Each of them a component of comfort. I whispered softly: Thank you, Jesus. As I lay in bed, I realized this truth: as a follower of Jesus, when I continually place my trust in Him despite my circumstances, I will always feel covered in comfort. The luxuries I currently experience through the goodness and grace of God are not guaranteed, but an eternity in Heaven granted freely through an expression faith in Jesus Chris absolutely is. Romans 10:10 says: “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (NIV).

Though this answer was excluded as a possible option when my friend texted that day, this truth will always be where my gratitude stems from. When I feel happiness and grief at the same time, I am thankful for Jesus. When I feel joy and longing at the same time, I am thankful for Jesus. No matter what emotions tug on my heart each day, it is covered in a blanket of comfort when I remind myself that I have given my heart to Jesus.

As I’ve come to know the character of God on a deeper level, I am constantly reminded that He is a God of comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3–7 says: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort” (NIV).

Yes, He can and does provide comfort tangibly through blankets, heat, cozy couches, etc. However, nothing can compare to the comfort He provides. What I love most about this verse from Corinthians is that we are called to share in our sufferings. When we use our suffering as a means of providing comfort to others in the same way Christ did for us, we are putting His love on display for others as we seek to glorify God.

The next time you find yourself struggling with competing emotions or seeking to shift your focus to gratitude, I am praying you’ll be reminded that we serve a God who knows our hearts intimately. We can allow ourselves to experience the fullness of our emotions while leaning on the ultimate truth that our God of comfort will always provide everything we need.