Comfort-Part 1

Last week was a difficult and emotional week for the Pettijohn family. Tuesday afternoon Terra, our family pet of almost 16 years began getting sick. She kept me up most of the night, pacing the floor and getting sick periodically. We took her to the vet on Wednesday. We were hoping that restoration of her fluids after becoming dehydrated was all she needed. Unfortunately, that was not God’s plan. After a long, wonderful life with us, Thursday, March 24, 2011 she gave up her fight of life on this earth.

I am very aware that animals don’t have souls, so all you Bible scholars just leave me alone! For my own peace of mind and comfort I need to have this picture in my mind. I see Terra being greeted in heaven by my daddy and my brother-in-law, Bryan. Terra may not have been their dog, but they both loved her and thought she was a great companion. This comforts me that she is being taken care of by people I care about who are in heaven.

Some people go through their lives and have very little loss. Then there are others who endure much loss. Loss can come in many forms, a move, a job change, irreconcilable differences, divorce, death, or abandonment, to name a few. No matter the loss, they all have one thing in common. GRIEF! It may be a small word but it carries with it huge ramifications. Grief is not an easy emotion. I wish I had all the answers to dealing with grief, but I don’t, even though I’ve gone through it many times. The interesting thing I want to share is really not about grief but about comfort. Paul reminds us in

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (ESV)

That helps me understand that each loss I go through, each time I endure grief, I will be better equipped to help someone else when they are in a time of loss and grief.

Actually there have been times I have been able to help those in pain and grief because I have been through the same type of loss they are going through. Even if all I can do is sit and cry with them. Sometimes to know someone feels the pain with you is a comfort. I hope you can find comfort in these words. Maybe one day you can be a comfort to someone when they are in pain. May God Richly Bless You!

Living in Grace,

Angie