com·fort/ˈkəmfərt/
ease the grief or distress of; console.
I’ve gone longer than 10 days without working at the restaurant before, but this time is different. Obviously. The world isn’t the same, and the uncertainty of it all is weighing on us all. Of course we handle it differently, but we’re all in the same boat. All of us. Restaurant workers, students, parents, consultants, business people, etc.
I don’t do change well. In fact, transition makes me want to crawl into a hole and hide until everything has settled. I like routine and being in control.
I’m also a two on the Enneagram, and empathy is one of my top strengths on StrengthsFinder. People keep telling me it’s a “gift” and a “blessing”, but this week it feels more like a curse. I feel all the feelings for others. I’ve had to turn the news off long before I go to bed or the heaviness of the pandemic prevents me from sleeping. I mourn for those who have lost loved ones (which includes my family), I grieve senior year for college students, I am overwhelmed with those who are currently unemployed.
And my tendency is to do something, anything, to help comfort and mend. As you can imagine, it’s been a challenging couple of weeks.
Here’s what I’m realizing: As much as I want to live and be good news & comfort those I share life with, I need the same things.
Which led me to thinking about comfort – the things that comfort us and the way it feels to be comforted. So I took to Instagram to see what comforts others. Some of the answers included:
- knowing that I am safe
- letting myself cry
- cozy, warm scents and feelings
- warm cups of coffee and a candle
- safe, beauty, candles & fresh flowers
These all resonate with me – I feel comforted when I can let down my guard, and when I’m holding a warm cup of coffee next to my yellow flowers (like I am right now). Maybe at the heart of comfort is safety and security.
I came across this passage this week from 2 Corinthians. Paul writes,
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 CSB; emphasis mine
I’ve been challenged by the words here. God – the one who is the very heart of compassion – comforts us so that we can comfort others, and through Christ our comfort overflows. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in my distress. God himself identifies in our suffering and empathizes with us. So for now, I sit. I’m learning to receive true comfort that only comes from the God of all comfort.
And comfort is not for selfish gain. We are comforted so that we can be of true comfort to others. Friends, as you stay connected to the source of comfort, don’t hold that hostage from your friends, coworkers, or neighbors. We all need to experience and know God as our comforter. My mom often says we are “Jesus with skin on” – so how are we showing up, out of the overflow of who Jesus is in us?
In the midst of chaos, God is still good. He is still faithful. His promises are true. He is who He says He is. May the God of all comfort meet you where you are, so that you may experience joy and peace.