Zoe's story.
I never knew I could survive such pain. First, Bobby, the man I thought I'd spend my life with, told me it was over. He broke our engagement and never even told me why.
Heartbroken, feeling abandoned and reeling from the pain of rejection, I sobbed myself to sleep. Night after night, I kept asking, what did I do wrong? Then a few months later, my parents, the two people in this world I depended the most on, told me they were getting a divorce.
The very foundation under me cracked open. I felt sad, insecure and confused. Wasn't anything in life reliable? I'd never felt so alone. And just when I thought I couldn't bear any more pain, Nana, my grandmother, my friend and spiritual mentor, passed away. I didn't think I would ever stop crying.
Everyone close to me was leaving me, pulling away, even dying. Why was everyone leaving me? What was wrong with me? That night, when the dark thoughts came, I heard the still, small voice inside me. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I smiled as I thought about Nana. She had taught me that verse, Joshua 1:9, when I was a kid and I was afraid of the dark. She told me God would always be there for me.
And he, is! I poured out my heart to God and felt his love wash over me. For the first night in months, I I slept and woke up refreshed.
2 Corinthians 1:3 to 4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
The Greek word for comfort is parakaleo: to call to one side, to exhort, to encourage, to comfort, to urge.
This is so good. God comes alongside us to encourage us, to give us hope, to give us strength, to give us courage. And he consoles us. He eases our grief and our troubles.