2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (Hobby Lobby and Other Aromas)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷ Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

What are some of your favorite smells?  Yes, yes....we all love the smell of baking bread, chocolate chip cookies, and flowers.  But are there some smells that you love that others find interesting?  For instance, I absolutely love the smell of certain stores: Lowes, Blockbuster (which is slowly disappearing), Hobby Lobby, and our public library here in town to name a few.  

This summer, I took the kids I nanny for to the library one day, and as we approached the door, I warned them that they were about to smell one of the greatest smells they had ever smelt.  We walked in and all took a big whiff which left a smile on my face and a confused look on theirs.  I had to explain that it was a mixture between "new building smell, a chlorinated swimming pool, and muffins"...as we continued walking, they started to agree with me.  Who knows what they really think of the smell of the library (or of me for that matter), but the next week, they couldn't wait to go smell the library with me!

Aromas are funny aren't they?  We all have different preferences, and you can begin to like aromas that you didn't like before, but I wonder if it has more to do with association than the actual smell (for instance, associating that the smell reminds you of your incredibly fun and funny nanny...).  Just kidding...well, kind of.

And so we are used by God to spread the aroma of Christ.  It's quite obvious just by looking at the news or Facebook that we, Christians, have a pleasant aroma to some and an aroma of death to others.  You know that smell, right?  The aroma of death....dead animals, dead food in the trash can, dead plants that have stayed in the vase a little too long.  Never is "death" a pleasant smell.  

This is quite a large task He has given us, spreading the aroma of Christ, which some will love and others will hate!  But we are His hands and feet on this earth until He returns, and much of what people think about Christ is reflective upon what they see in us.  And based on what they see in our lives, they may begin to like the aroma of God in a way they have never experienced before.

Now, lest I talk all of us into acting like my natural position of "people pleasing," this doesn't mean that everyone will like us!  Look at verse 17, and see we are to speak of God sincerely, truthfully.  Or as the NLT puts it, "You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us."  And when we speak of God, our relationship with Him, and what Christ did for us, some people will not be happy about it.  That fact is plain as day based on what we read.  We must know that people will not agree or like what we say...perhaps because saying that Jesus is the only way seems "narrow-minded".  They won't like that.  

But others will have their eyes opened by God.  Others will see our lives and our message and suddenly "get it."  The aroma that once smelled like death to them, will begin to smell like life and beauty and peace and love.  You can begin to like aromas that you didn't like before.

So what kind of a smell are you today?  Cookies?  Rotting flowers?  Hobby Lobby?  Not everyone will think you "smell good,"  but don't change the aroma itself to make it smell better as those do "who peddle the Word of God for profit;" instead, remain steadfast, prayerful, and servant-minded.  And let those who will, see Jesus in you.

Whether they come around to "liking" the aroma or not doesn't matter, because the aroma of Christ on this Earth ALWAYS pleases the Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11 (The Dirty Church)

²³ Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn’t return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. ²⁴ But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

2 So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. ² For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. ³ That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. ⁴ I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you.

⁵ I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. ⁶ Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. ⁷ Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. ⁸ So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

⁹ I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. ¹⁰ When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, ¹¹ so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

Christians are not perfect.  We know it, and the world sure knows it.  The Outsiders expect to enter a church and find a bunch of people who are put together perfectly, prim and proper, and holy.  And sometimes we are.  But more often than not, we too, are a mixed bag of emotions, experiences, relationships, preferences, and personalities -- as different as the spices in our spice racks -- that when used together in the right way, make something delicious, so delicious that the world wants a piece of it.
...but that's on our good days.

The further I get into this book, the more mess I see with the Corinthian church.  Paul, the leader, is showing us a lot about how to lead some unruly folks, who at one time followed Him with great gusto, but seem to be a little distracted right now...hmm, I wonder if these methods work on squirrely fifth-graders, too? 

Feelings have been hurt...guidance has been given...grief and pain abound in this book so far...accusations of falsehood are being tossed around.  Yet, Paul has not given up.  In fact, he continues to be loving and direct.  I love verse 4, "I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you."  What?  Paul has cried about this?  Apparently a lot.

Have you ever cried over something that's happened in your church?  I have.  I grew up in the church where I currently attend, and I absolutely LOVE my church.  But I love it more now than I did as a child because I see the imperfections -- I can look at us as we really are, imperfect people so desperately trying to love and serve our perfect God.  I've been so disheartened by some of our choices one moment, and then so proud of us the next.  I've lost sleep over different situations in my church.  I've had conversations with people that left me so broken and sad.  So, if the church is a mess of people, too, why even go?

Well, here is what I have come to learn about why The Church really is different than the world: because of God's wisdom and guidance for us in the Bible, we are shown how to deal with the hard stuff.  It doesn't mean life is any easier for us or there is any less hard stuff (just yesterday I talked with someone who had just lost a family member, another person who is waiting for a diagnosis today and it doesn't look good, and yet another who is dealing with some major life changes that are over-whelming at times), so no, life is not easier, per say.  But we are given the knowledge and then the opportunity to choose a different perspective, to choose forgiveness, to choose to love.

I absolutely love my church.  I want the best for my church, and I want us to be the best representatives for Jesus Christ that we can be.  And sometimes, that means direct and loving conversations.  No one has ever had one of those with me at work, or in the grocery store line, or at school when I was a student.  But they have come to me from the people in The Church, who also don't want us to stay the way we are -- they want me to be better, too.

So, no, we're not perfect in the Church.  But, I think those of us who really love Jesus and desire to serve Him sure want to be better.  We want to grow.  We want to put ourselves aside and put Jesus and others first.  We want to be united with each other, not torn apart by conflict.  We want to be loving to everyone, not judgmental because of our own prejudices and self-righteousness. We don't do it perfectly, but we really do try with Christ's help.  And when you have a bunch of sinful people with that attitude, it is one of the most beautiful creations I have ever seen.  THAT is The Church.

And here is why we keep going, even in our messy moments, Church: "so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes" (verse 11).  The Evil One knows that we are a powerful unit when we are working together, and he will do whatever he can to divide us, to distract us, to make us focus on the small stuff...and he's been using the same tactics for millennia!  Why does he spend so much time working against The Church?  Because we are the spark that could start the forest fire, so he continually tries to snuff us out in whatever ways he can...usually the really dumb stuff.  So we don't let him -- we continue to work through conflicts, continue to serve others instead of ourselves, continue to look to Christ for wisdom and direction, and continue to work together for the sake of eternity.

...so, I'm not giving up on these Corinthians yet.  Satan is currently using false teachers, lies, and accusation to misdirect them.  But perhaps, hopefully, they are experiencing a season where they will look back one day and be able to admit: I was wrong.  I was immature.  I was selfish.  I know I have 20,000 examples of retrospective moments like that in my life, thanks to the direct and loving conversations others have been willing to have with me.

And so we are being renewed day by day...cleaned and re-cleaned, pruned and primed as we grow closer to Him.  The world knows we're not perfect, but my prayer is that they would also see that though we are dirty, we know The Way to be cleaned.

2 Corinthians 1:17-20 (Yes and No)

¹⁷ You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”? ¹⁸ As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” ¹⁹ For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. ²⁰ For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

"What, you mean this sweater is marked down an extra 25%?  "Yes!" 
"May I have a grande, nonfat, hazelnut misto?"  "Yes!"
"Josh, are you sure we can afford that anniversary trip to Hawaii?"  "Yes!"

We love to hear "yes," don't we?  (For the record, Josh has not said 'yes' to that last one...yet.)  Just thinking about the word 'yes' makes my eyebrows go up and brings a smile to my face.

Here, Paul continues to explain why he had planned a trip to see the Corinthians but then changed his plan (we learn later that it was for their good).  The false teachers are trying to turn the people against him by accusing Paul of being wishy-washy because of this, so these above verses are Paul's response.

This is not the only time in the Bible where "yes and no" are the subject.  Matthew 5 has these words from Jesus: "And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

Anytime something in the Bible is the focus more than once, I know to pay attention.  Jesus Himself gave us this command!  He must know something about us...and boy does He!  Giving someone our word should be simple, keeping our word should be paramount, and explaining a 'no' is not necessary. Molly, the People Pleaser, continues to learn this a little more every year.  Maybe you need to hear it from someone like I did: IT'S ABSOLUTELY OKAY, AND SOMETIMES BEST, TO SAY NO!  

Example: Just this past weekend, I was the beneficiary of a delicious, homemade cookie from one of our dear friends, Chad.  He was handing them out in the sanctuary, which I thought was a little odd, but absolutely accepted one immediately anyway...of course.  Then, he explained to us that they were given to him by 4-year-old, Leah.  Leah is the daughter of two of our other dear friends, and she absolutely adores Chad.  The reason she adores him is because he lived with Leah and her family for a few months right before he got married after his current lease was up.  Leah and Chad are the sweetest of buddies because of that time together.

Now, here's the lesson I learned, and why I even share this story: Josh had asked me if we could house Chad during that season.  I absolutely love Chad; in fact, I even have a pet name for him, which I have for all people I dearly love, so that's my proof.  And I wanted to say 'yes' so badly because 1) Chad needed a place to stay, and 2) we have extra beds and a bathroom.  The kicker was that my sister had been living with us for a while and she was just moving out -- they would probably even overlap for a few days.  Adding up their time combined, we would have had house guests in our home for a full year, which was a long time for me to not be able to feel the freedom to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, in my own house, especially after we had also just lived with Dad for 9 months.  Could we have housed people for a year?  Absolutely!  Would it have been best for the Monroe Marriage?  Probably not.  So, we heard that Leah's family had offered, and so we said 'no'.  And oh gosh, it was painful, but deep down, I really knew that was the best answer for us.

Did Chad manage without living at our house?  Umm, absolutely.  Was he mad that was said no?  Not at all.  Was it the best decision?  100% yes...Chad and Leah met each other, and Josh and I had a few months alone before that sister (who will remain nameless) moved back in for a few months before SHE got married!  It's comical, really...

And none of that would have happened if I'd said 'yes'.  

"...and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. ²⁰ For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory."

We all prefer to hear 'yes', don't we?  It usually means that we're getting what we want.  And look at what this says about God.  He definitely gives a sure answer, yes or no, but He loves to say 'yes' to us.  And He did through Jesus. 

God, will I ever get out of this depression?  Yes.
Lord, will I ever feel peace and joy again?  Yes.
Father, will I ever be able to quit thinking about myself and focus more on others?  Yes. 
Abba, will I ever be done with the craziness of this world?  Yes.

Through Jesus Christ.

Whatever our concerns, the answer is found in Jesus Christ.  God smiles and says 'yes' through Him.  As these verses remind us, the Lord ALWAYS does what He says He'll do, and ALL of His promises are completely fulfilled.  

Can we let that sink in?  Your God will do what He says He'll do today and forever, and He fulfills EVERY single promise to us.  So if you ever question either of those statements, the answer is always, always, always... 'yes'.  :)

2 Corinthians 1:12-14 (Loving Conflict)

¹² We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. ¹³ Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, ¹⁴ even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.

If you'll recall, Paul is writing this letter to the Corinthians because he had sent them a previous letter that was apparently quite severe, urging them to remain Christ-centered in their beliefs and conduct.  I think it was probably a loving but strict disciplinary letter, and it was not received as Paul had hoped. (Does this surprise us?  It's pretty normal for people to get mad at us for pointing out their short-comings -- we are usually doing the 'bad stuff' we're doing because we like it!)  To make matters worse, some men then came to their town claiming to be apostles, but were instead false teachers, who challenged Paul's teachings and even his authority as an apostle.  The people are turning away!

So, you could say Paul is in a bit of a conundrum.

For the next 2 chapters, he is trying to prove his authority as well as his love for these people, since he had spent 18 months with them when he first came to Corinth.  They know him.  But as soon as he was no longer with them, it appears that many have gone back to their old ways.  Oh, how we need a Shepherd, don't we?

Paul's visit made him sad to see how they were living; so he sent a stern letter; that backfired and now people have really turned away from him.  And now here, in these verses, we get to see how Paul is choosing to move forward with these people.

"We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings."  Here is what he does have going for him.  He knows deep in his own heart, and with no shame or regret, that he has lived a holy life (with God's help) and has been genuine and honest in what he does.  If we're going to lovingly point out the sin in someone else's life, or even just spur them on to doing something better, we had better be a living example ourselves!  In order to do this, we need to know what it means to live a holy life, and we need to choose to be genuine and honest in everything, not making ourselves out to be better than we are.

We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom.  Ahhh, yes.  Here's another kicker.  Keep the pride low!  When confronting another, we need to remember "there but for the grace of God go I."  Anything good in my life, including my choices, is a gift from God.  He is the one who allows me to even understand His wisdom and gives me the desire to do things His way.  I am nothing, absolutely nothing, without Him.  And may I remember my own sin, because even on our holiest days, we are still not perfect.  May I get my mind in THAT position before I ever talk to someone about their short-comings.

Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand.   And let's be sure of this -- no beating around the bush or using fancy, highfalutin words that make us feel powerful and the other person feel small.  There is nothing that erks me more than being around people who use words and knowledge I don't understand and obviously feel superior by doing so.  Instead, I want to think about my audience, and let my eyes and tone do the talking as for the condition of my heart.

I hope someday you will fully understand us, ¹⁴ even if you don’t understand us now.  Here is the most challenging part of all: you can do all of these things perfectly, but the results are still out of your control.  As much as we may wish good for someone, they have to wish it for themselves, too.  We can't be more invested in them than they are!  And so, I like how Paul has put it all out there, but then releases the result to God.  He also gives the people the respect to still make their own choices, but he gently lets them know his hope for them.  Wow.  Thank you for that example, Paul.

Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.   He still has hope for them, that when Jesus returns, they will be following Him once again.  It's quite obvious he's not giving up on these people or leaving them completely on their own and washing his hands of them.  And even with all that is going on, he reminds them that he is proud of them.  He is proud for what they have done, and he loves them deeply.

What a great example this is for me as I encounter people today.  And perhaps you have a situation that needs straightening or a conversation that needs to occur...may this be fresh in our minds as we continue one step closer to living like Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (The God of All Comfort, Part 3 -- Final)

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

In verse 8, Paul doesn't go into any detail about what the problems were exactly that they encountered.  We only know from the following sentence that he felt under great pressure, far beyond his own ability to continue, and he wished he were dead.  Does that sound at all familiar to you?  Read that again.  If you are experiencing one or all three of those feelings right now, listen up.  The Bible has a power-packed sentence coming in just a moment for you.

In verse 9, he says "we felt we had received the sentence of death."  Perhaps you are either 1) experiencing a situation in work or at home where it feels like a death sentence; 2) someone close to you has actually been given a death sentence; or 3) you have been told that your days left are few on this earth.  Whatever your current scenario may be, here comes the "But."

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God..." 

The Lord wants us to trust Him no matter what, and He gives us opportunities to do this daily, but some of those 'opportunities' are definitely more difficult than others.

After the D&C, I felt so empty.  Up to that point, I still had a baby that I carried -- whether it was alive or dead.  But when I woke up from the procedure, I immediately sobbed.  Someone had died (a few days before), the body was not gone, and he or she took a little part of my heart with them.  The weight of death pressed heavily in those moments.

Now, as I see friends, co-workers, and strangers all around me with their healthy pregnancies and new born babies, it is so hard to not want to run away to a deserted beach somewhere for the next few seasons.  I find myself not even wanting to be around them at all because it is a painful reminder of my own loss.  I ask myself if it is some sort of sick joke that some dear friends of ours just let us know they are pregnant and are due one day after our due date would have been.  Really, Lord?  How am I supposed to go on?  And that's when I remember...

"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God..." 

And let's not over look the four words that come right after that statement,  "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."  There are multiple places in Scripture where that four-word phrase is added.  And why?  It is a reminder of His POWER.  He is the only being who can restore cold, lifeless bodies to life again.  THAT is the kind of power my God has!  Surely, if He can do that, He can teach me what I need to learn from this incredibly sad experience, and He will.  He can do anything!

¹⁰ "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us"  This is a great reminder to us -- we are not perfect.  When we sink back into our cycles of fear, sadness, and worry, He will come and deliver us.  Again and again.  He will always be continuing to deliver us (that's present tense).  So often as Christians, we think that because we have Christ and are full of joy, we should never be sad.  Not true.  Wait, you didn't catch that.  NOT TRUE!  Tears were created by God, and they have a purpose -- they cleanse.  So let them flow...or as Josh loves to quote, "It's just my awesomeness oozing out."  And some days, boy, I have an awful lot of awesomeness!  And even in those moments, when the tears have been steadily flowing again and again and again, God comes to us.  He comes, He comforts, He rescues, and He delivers us from the trappings of this world.  It is on Him and His plan for our eternity that we have set our hope.  

¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.  So, what if you're not going through a down-season right now?  You have a job to do, too!  Prayer.  Praying and believing.  Just as people prayed for us and we FELT God's presence, peace, and comfort in the most difficult of moments, we all need to be praying for one another.  And when God answers those prayers, then we can be filled with gratitude for his gracious favor.  He does answer our prayers.

Please let me know how I may be praying for you, my friend.  If you are going through a difficult season, may I walk beside you?  And my prayer is that you will choose to take time to be still and silent with God, tears and all, and let Him give comfort to your heart.  He has so much for you in this season, and He is walking beside you, leading you through the darkness, in the midst of the pain.  Turn to Him.

2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (The God of All Comfort, Part 2)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.
⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Note:  If you did not read yesterday's post, you will want to stop here and read it.

Okay, so now to dig in to the Word...

First of all, look at verse 1.  Paul addresses this whole letter to "the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia (Greece)."  So these words are not just for a city, but for a nation.  These words are not just for some small people group, but they are for the whole of us -- Christ followers. Greece was a bustling seaport, full of all kinds of cosmopolitan sin, and it was very difficult for these new Christians to stay focused on Christ when people were telling them all kinds of "truth".  So, Paul wrote to them to encourage them and spur them to continue to remember Christ.  So, it's interesting that he starts by talking about God's comfort.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,..."  I am struck by the words that are used to describe God the Father.  I'm saddened when I hear people talk about God as a far-away being who likes to inflict hardship on us and who watches us from a distance.  Instead, God the Father is the complete opposite.  Look here -- He's the Father of compassion (He created it), and He's the God of all comfort.  ALL comfort.  Not just comfort for some people in some certain circumstances.  If you need comfort, HE is the source -- for everyone in everything.  Now, this particular letter refers to believers who suffer for Jesus' sake, but if we know that God is the source of ALL comfort, we can apply this to our own lives as well, even if our biggest burden today is not persecution for our faith.

"who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."  Many people think that when God comforts us, our troubles must "go away."  But if that were so, then people would only turn to God out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for Him.  So we must understand that "comfort" from God can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to continue in the midst of our troubles.  This is what I have experienced this summer.  The pain didn't go away and healing on this side of Heaven wasn't granted.  But I did receive strength, encouragement, and hope to continue.  And because He doesn't always take us out of our troubles, we are then able to comfort others.  Let me tell you that much of the comfort I received came from other human beings.  I think God so often uses little ol' us to be His hands and feet (in fact, He tells us that He uses us in that way).  And so I experienced God's love and comfort through others, especially those who had walked a similar road as I was walking.  It's quite beautiful, really.  He doesn't have to make it this way, but He chooses to give us ways to use the experiences of our pain as a gift to others.

"For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." Or as the NLT puts it, "For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ."  If your current suffering has anything to do with your belief in Christ, you can rest assured that you will experience even more comfort as your suffering continues.  There will be hard times when we follow Christ, but this assures us that those won't be more than the good times of His healing comfort.  He doesn't leave us out to dry alone.

"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. ⁷ 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."  Firstly, this verse tells us that suffering is for our benefit.  That theme is all throughout the Bible.  The donkey does not move until the sharp stick pokes him in the rump!  And so it is with us -- we will choose to stay right where we are (because it's comfortable) unless someone or something comes along that forces us to move forward and change.  Hence, God allows suffering into our lives, and perhaps even sometimes directs it to us, but only for our good.  And there is nothing more promising to observe in the life of a Christian, than their "patient endurance" in suffering.  

And so that is my prayer for us today: To be able to sit in the suffering without trying to run away, hide, or push it away, but instead with our eyes fixed on Him as He directs us through the darkness.  He DOES know the way, and He WILL lead us to the Light.  May you feel His strength, hear His encouraging words to you, and be filled with His hope to continue.  He is still working in this.

2 Corinthians 1:1-7 (The God of All Comfort, Part 1)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.

Greetings, my long lost friends!
So, I decided to take the summer off from blogging.  Normally, one would think summer would be the best time to blog, but I do much better when I have routine; and quite frankly, I just needed to rest.  Then, little did I know, that due to a few things that happened over the summer, a break from blogging was probably part of God's plan anyway.

And so, here is one main thing I have learned this summer: God comforts us.

When I decided to jump back into the blog this weekend, and saw that I had ended on 1 Corinthians pre-summer, I figured that 2 Corinthians was probably a great place to continue.  Oh my surprise when I saw what the first few verses had to say to me this morning...another reminder that God Himself comforts us. (Read the above verses and just soak them up. We'll dig into them tomorrow, but I wanted to share a story of God's comfort with you.)

It was early July when I found out I was pregnant.  I was shocked, over-joyed, thankful...everything!  I had wondered, and then the test confirmed...I am a mama, which, of course, got me thinking about my mama.  I wondered what she felt when she found out she was pregnant.  I was in a Target bathroom stall, and I hoped she was some place much more glamorous when she found out.  As one could expect, I immediately began cherishing the life that grew within me and started planning how I would tell Josh when he returned from a business trip a few days later.

And so over the weeks, the baby continued to grow, and Josh and I continued to get more and more excited.  It's incredible how quickly you get attached to this new person you don't even know.

Then, Friday night, July 27th, my mom's birthday,  the cramps and bleeding began.  My heart just knew this wasn't good news.  I sobbed as I began to say goodbye to this little life.  My mom had also lost her first and third babies, and I so desperately wished she were here to comfort me and tell me what to do.  We headed to the hospital.

We spent the evening in the ER.  Four of our friends met us there, held my hand, and prayed with us for hours as we waited.  Finally, the ultrasound tech arrived, and Josh and I saw the little heartbeat for the first time.  Baby wasn't gone yet!  So we went home and waited, though they warned us, it wasn't looking good.  But that was fine with me, I knew my God was bigger than any ultrasound image.  He could heal our baby -- He was the only one that could.  

For two weeks, we continued to wait.  Every cramp, every potty break, sent my mind running with thoughts about the future of our little family.  

Two weeks later, I had a follow up appointment which ultimately revealed there was no longer a heartbeat.  

We were crushed, and I wondered why God did not spare the life of my little one.  Then, the dreams of our future with this baby began to unravel.  The death of dreams can cause grief just as much as the death of people.  There was a lot of grief.

A D&C was required,  and again, friends and family came with us to the hospital, sat in waiting rooms with us, prayed with us, brought us food, called to check up on us, sent flowers and other gifts, and came by our home individually for 10 minutes unannounced just to give us a hug and cry with us for a few, short moments.  They were incredible.  They were God's love to us in those moments, and we were so incredibly thankful.  What would we have done without our community? 

And so we continue to grief the loss of "Blueberry" as we call him/her.  We still talk about that sweet baby and all that we experienced in those weeks, and we also are beginning to process this whole season.  I'm sure we will discover more revelations as we move forward, but I have been greatly struck by one thing:  All along, people sent us cards, texts, voice mails -- all that said they were "praying we'd feel God's love, peace, and comfort during this tragic time."  And here's the kicker...we did.  We absolutely do feel His love, comfort, and peace, in a way that is beyond human understanding or expectation.  What stuck out to me in all of this was how often we pray that prayer, but we don't really BELIEVE that He will answer it in a way that we will really feel His love, peace, and comfort.  How often do I pray prayers that I don't really expect God to answer?  But He does...and then we're surprised.  Why?

What also has been very apparent as I reflect on this summer is that in each trial of my life, I have wanted God to mold me more into who He wants me to be -- a person with more trust, a trust that comes quicker than the last time; a person with less guiding emotion and more guiding faith.  And here's another thing that shocked me: I am.  

I didn't know this until now, but this time, in the midst of my grief, I ran to God faster than I did when I lost my mom.  This time, I prayed more honestly.  This time, I recognized God's presence and His touch like a comforting, well-worn sweater that I was aware I had worn before.  I was able to look to Him, not perfectly nor in every moment by any means, but each day, I find myself choosing to turn back to Him and trusting Him to lead me in the dark.

...And so here is my new prayer.  I don't want to pray and ask God WHY anymore.  I don't want to say, "Why did you let my mom get cancer?  Why did you let her die?  Why did you let my baby die? Why are you making me go through this?"  Instead, I so desperately want my prayer to be WHAT.  "What are you trying to teach me in this, Lord?  What are you going to do in and through me because of this circumstance?  What can I do now for others because of this experience that I couldn't have done before?"  These are the questions of faith.  These are the questions that help me to focus not on the darkness in which I may currently find myself, but rather on the only One who knows the path in the midst of my darkness that leads to an unimaginable light.  He is the Light in all of my darkness.

He has comforted us.  Just like He said He would.  I continue to feel His arms wrapping us up, despite the tears that seemed to flow constantly this weekend.  He holds us, and He cries with us.  He comforts us, deep in our hearts.

In the meantime, I'm trusting Jesus and Mom to love on that baby until we get to meet him or her someday.  I had always felt so sad to think that Mom wouldn't know her first grandchild...and now she knows him or her even before we do.  I think they are probably all having a great time together, and that image also brings me comfort.

I love you, Jesus.  I love you, Mom.  I love you, Blue.