Multiplied blessing

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

God comes alongside of us in hard times - that should bring comfort to someone who needs that word today. If you don't need to hear it, perhaps you are the one to come alongside another who is going through the hard times today. Either way, God is at work! Have you ever noticed how you can be going through some really rough stuff and then before long you find yourself helping someone else who is also going through something a bit harder than they can handle alone? This isn't by accident - God has prepared you for that moment. A full measure of God's comfort and healing is made available to us in hard times - share what it is you have been given and witness the multiplication of the magnitude of God's grace!

Hard times aren't optional - they will come. What we do when facing them is where the 'option' part comes into play. We can choose to lean into God a bit harder, or we can pull away and declare we are 'out'. There is always a choice, but when we choose to lean in, allowing God to come alongside of us, we might just be surprised as to how his work begins to be multiplied in and through us. He brings us comfort - helping us to find our way through to the other side of the issue. He also prepares us to bring comfort to another - helping them to stand strong in their own struggle. It is in the 'going through' that we learn how to lean upon someone other than ourselves!

For years, I didn't like to lean on anyone. In fact, I almost perceived the need to lean on someone as a weakness. I don't actually remember the moment God began to deal with my pride issues, but once I began to yield to his tug to let go of my need to do everything myself, I began to realize just how many people he had prepared to come alongside me in my times of struggle. As long as I stood too proud to ask for help, or even acknowledge I was going through difficulties, I was actually denying someone the benefit of seeing their preparation time in their time of struggle put to use in my life. 

It is a hard thing to admit I used to deny others their opportunity to be a blessing, and I still struggle with letting go of my desire to do things myself on occasion. The more I step back and allow God to come alongside in my life - admitting I am not as strong as I believe myself to be - the more I see how he has all kinds of 'instruments' just ready to be used. You may have been one of those instruments in my life on occasion - thank you. You may be that instrument to another soon - be faithful. You never know how your hardship 'prep time' will one day be a blessing in the life of another. Just sayin!