Friday, April 04, 2014

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Sometimes we're the mourner, sometimes the comforter. Sometimes a mix.
Once upon a time I was sitting in a hospital waiting room, sad and troubled.
This guy came up and said, "Hey, I don't know your situation, but I can see you're hurting.
The hurting will pass, it always does, and things will get better."
I thanked him; I knew he was right.
Another time, different waiting room. Same hospital.
My family rushed there for my brother who had fallen.
The waiting room was overpacked-it looked like over a hundred people in a space meant for a third that number.
Milling around, crying-a teen aged girl had been in a catastrophic car accident, and was near death- they were all there for her.
Later that night, I was 'not' napping on a bench-my family went home to sleep.
The crowds were gone; it would be the next day before anything would be known about the girl's
condition.
I prayed for that girl, for her family and friends. I prayed for my brother.
Someone, I think the girl's aunt, was also waiting; we got to talking, comforted each other, encouraged each other that all would be all right.
I told her that I was praying for her niece, and she appreciated that.
"And you're here for your brother? How is he doing?"
I had to shake my head-he was basically already gone.
That teen aged girl survived. There was a news article a year later about her rehabilitation, and it was
gratifying to hear that she came back from such a terrible injury.
In the past year I've known some mourning, and comforting.
One friend passed away about a month ago-today when I was calling his widow, I was startled: his
voice is still on the phone answering message. When she called me back later we could laugh about it, which is a kind of comforting. She's doing all right.
As that guy said in the waiting room, "Things will get better.".


1 comment:

Doug said...

"13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus."
1 Thess 4:13-14

This is why Christians use such euphemisms as "going home" or "promoted to Heaven" or "gone to Jesus" when one of our number dies.
We still mourn. It still hurts, though that hurt is tempered by the joy that our loved one is no longer
encumbered in this sinful world but is now living in a much better one.
We have hope.