SUPPORT

Yesterday some of Katie’s college friends and her aunt hosted a baby shower for her.  She was showered not only with gifts, but also with friendship.  As she finished opening she stood and thanked all of them for everything.  There was much I wanted to say to this group of young ladies, but as I began to speak tears were flowing out of my eyes instead of words flowing from my mouth.  They have been the physical support system that Katie needed as she finished out this semester. 

As Katie left the driveway in late September she was nervous and anxious about returning to college, however when she returned she found this group of woman embracing her and sharing in the excitement and joy of what will soon be a new little baby boy.  I knew that I didn’t need to worry because they were there. 

We all know that we have the Lord as our support system, but during certain situations in our life we need to know that we have a support system here on earth with us.  The Lord will give us those people who will shower us will love and support.  Those that He has filled with empathy and compassion.  Those that truly love you no matter what.  He knows what we need and when we need it.  He knows when we need a shoulder to cry on or a hand to hold. 

Every trial that we endure will help us in comforting other people.  These sufferings are those afflictions we experience so that we can do Christ’s ministry.  God comforts us so that we can learn from Him how to comfort others.  When he comforts us we are receiving strength, encouragement and hope to deal with our troubling situations and to also learn how to be a support system for others. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5New International Version (NIV)  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.

Don’t pass up the opportunities that the Lord gives us to support each other.  We all need the physical concrete knowing of someone telling us, “I’ll be here for you.”  When we endure trials and troubles don’t worry rest assured that it is for us to gain strength to be present for someone in the future.