Consolation

READING 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation.

A kind word. A helping hand. A silent prayer. Any of these is consolation. In times of stress and despair and sorrow, and even anger, we all look for this. Our human nature requires us to lean on others. We may think we are strong enough to handle things alone, and many may be, but these events are so much easier with the help of others. We have all been on the receiving end of consolation, which is the easier part of this equation. Offering consolation can be difficult. To offer consolation, we need to open our heart. We make ourselves vulnerable and hope for the best. This is true consolation.

One of the most rewarding ministries I experience is to lead a wake service. Family and friends have suffered loss and many times do not know how to deal with it, if they can, or why their loved one has died. I think my advantage is having truly experienced all of these feelings when my own loved ones have died and through these experiences and ministry training together I have come to understand not only the need for consolation, but also how to offer such a great gift. It truly is a gift. It can not be forced on a person and the person need not except it immediately, but it is offered. After the wake service, when we have prayed together, I make sure to speak with the family and, instead of the expected 'I'm sorry for your loss,' I just tell them my prayer, 'I hope that our prayers together this evening have provided you a little bit of comfort in your time of loss.' Because that is really all we can offer. We may want to take away the pain, anger, loneliness. But the reality is, only the person can do that for themselves.