Him and His Mourners

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating words of praise.” The Lord says, “Peace, peace to the one who is far or near, and I will heal him” (Isaiah 57:18-19).

She was shouting on the phone. I’d never heard her shout, not one time. But she’d had it.

How could God allow this? What is He doing? When is enough enough???

My dear friend, she who had followed Jesus alongside me for decades, was struggling to understand. My pain, the crushing circumstances God was allowing in my life, was forcing her and other friends like her into a faith crisis. Could she trust Him despite all He was allowing in my life?

I could not make the decision for her. 

Help her trust You, Lord. I prayed.

It is one thing to suffer; it is another for loved ones to suffer because you are suffering. To wrestle with God because of what they see Him allowing in your life.

I can bear up under most anything. But when my pain becomes another’s pain, it’s excruciating. This is just my personality. I can’t help it. I delight in making others comfortable, in serving them. When life’s problems render me unable to do that, when crushing sorrow makes me the bearer of heavy news, it wounds my soul.

But I am learning that my story isn’t mine alone. My story is part of your story. My suffering has a purpose not only in my life but in yours. My journey of faith is part of your journey of faith.

There is a trail near our home that I love to run. Every chance I get, I go early in the morning and lose myself in worship and nature as I pound the narrow path that winds through trees along the water’s edge. It has become my own personal cathedral. Occasionally, I encounter another person there and it startles me back to the reality that the path doesn’t belong to me alone. It is a shared space, a beautiful place where others find rest and peace.

Suffering is like a beautiful, winding path. A path meant to be shared. #perseverance #suffering #comfort Share on X

I pray I run this path well, friend, so you can run it too. So when you reach the tree that has fallen in the recent storm, you’ll find the strength to leap over it and keep going with me.

Our Lord promises comfort for our mourners, not just for us. He promises peace and healing for the sufferer and those who hurt for her. What a beautiful picture of His purpose for suffering.

Lord, help me trust You in suffering and help my friends trust You, too. Amen.

@audreycfrank