Tell Your Stories

 

Hey Friends...

This morning I want to share a story with you that I hope will inspire you and encourage you, if you're going through a hard time or know someone who is. 

My sweet daughter-in-love, Morgan, lost her mom 5 years ago to cancer. Morgan was 19. Way too young to lose anyone, much less, her mom. 

But she recently shared a tradition that she has, of going back to the hospital and praying with a family who has a loved one in the ICU. I thought this was beautiful and it reminded me of a scripture that used to be one of my favorites, in years past, whenever David and I would experience a trial.

In 2 Corinthians 1:4, the Bible says:

"He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 

Those words have held me through some scary trials of a young married girl. When David experienced his first job loss, we had a mortgage and a baby, and I was scared. 

I had always known that I would stay home with my children, and a job loss threatened the life we were trying to build for our family. 

I remember talking to some older gentlemen at church and hanging on their every word, as they spoke hope over our situation. They had all "been there" - job loss and other trials - and made it through every one. 

As they would share their experiences and how God supplied all of their needs, my hope increased, and I knew that if God would care for them, he would also care for us, and it just brought such comfort every time they would share what they went through. 

As the years went by and we survived several other job losses, I wondered about other losses in life, such as losing a loved one and how we would ever make it through. Then the unthinkable happened and my aunt lost a 19 year old daughter and I watched her to see how she made it. Years later she lost a husband and again, I watched to see how one makes it through such heartache. 

What I learned is that losses come, but it's what you do afterwards that determines how you survive. 

Watching my aunt go through the losses and yet, still live and thrive, gave me hope and so much encouragement, that should I ever go through something, I would remember how she did it and keep going too.

Sure enough, one year later, my father became deathly ill and was in ICU for so long. When he finally left this earth, on his way to heaven, I knew I would make it through, because I had evidence of others who had made it. And I did. 

But back to Morgan...

When I learned about what she has been doing - ministering to families in the ICU - I instantly thought of that scripture in 2 Corinthians, and it truly warmed my heart. 

God is using her to do exactly what he laid out in his Word - comforting those who come behind us, by sharing the comfort we ourselves have received from the Lord.

That is the best gift we can give someone going through a loss or a trial - our testimony of how God showed up and how he sustained us, through our hurt. It's the basic human need, to know that we will survive. 

Morgan is not only surviving, but she is living out God's desire for us to provide comfort to those who are hurting. She is ministering to others in their time of need. 

I can't think of any better way for her to honor her mom. I know her mom would be so proud of her. I know I am. 

As this post comes to an end, I just want to encourage you to testify to God's work in your life. It's what we all need to hear! It's the very thing God might want to use in someone else's life, to get them through a tough time.

Until Next Time...

Tell your stories 💛