Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them.” ~ Veronica Roth, Divergent
Is it easy or difficult for you to console someone?
For someone like me who is in ministry and who loves words, I'll admit to sometimes struggling for the right ones.
And yet, I am still called to console. Not because I am a Rostered Minister of the ELCA, but because I am a follower of Jesus.
I am called to console because I have been and will continue to be consoled by God. My faith is a source of consolation.
And quite honestly, the way God consoles, isn't always with words. In fact, it often isn't with words.
And nowhere here does the Apostle Paul say that we have to have the right words to console.
When I have been at some of the lowest points in my life, the greatest consolation for me was simply the presence of another: my husband, my parents, my daughter, my friends, my faith community.
Just being present.
I remember a good friend dropping everything and coming just to sit with me after I'd had a miscarriage. She didn't really say much if anything. She just held my hand and let me weep.
It was a blessing.
Blessed are we who weep. Because it gives someone a chance to be that blessing.
Questions for Thought: What is it you find that consoles you the most when you are grieving? What are the ways you find it easy or difficult to console others?
Pray: Ask God to make you a presence of consolation.
Comments