At one open house I was reminded how God will never waste your pain

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. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

This weekend has been another awesome weekend of open houses for my son's graduating class of 2013. It has been fun encouraging his classmates as they begin their new journey in life in whatever direction God has for them and it was fun talking to the parents of these young people and seeing the pictures and awards their young person accumulated through out the parenting years.

I had the most beneficial time at the final open house because it was at the final place that I sense the presence of the Lord as I got to know a dad who I had never met and sat at the next table over. I was reminded in our conversation how God will never waste your pain.  As we talked I quickly learned that he recently lost his young adult son in a tragic accident he, nor anyone else had any control over.  Because of my grief just 7 years before I could feel his inner most turmoil and the daily, if not hourly, pangs of grief. I was able to share the loss of our little girl, Maria, just 7 years ago through another tragic set of circumstances that were suppose to have helped her, but took her life instead.

I don't think it was by 'chance' that I ended up talking to him.  I believe God placed us there to encourage each other with our faith stories. Like me, he continues to be placing one foot in front of the other and clinging onto his faith in Christ by weekly attending church. Like me, he is finding opportunities to listen to newly bereaved people as they describe their inner most pain and turmoil.   Like me, he continues to navigate through a mine field of grief that occasionally explodes through his misplaced step. Like me, he has decided that he can't simply quit the Christian walk because of what happened to his family because like me he realized that there are those around him that are looking at him as a model for how to respond to life's circumstances no matter how severe those circumstances may be.

As I talk with newly bereaved people and as I listen to their innermost pain I am reminded that of the above verse that he will use our pain to help those who suffer after us.  I have this picture in my mind of a family going out on a  sailing adventure. It is a beautiful sunshine day with temperatures in the 80's. Picture perfect in every way.  Before that sailing adventure it is imperative that the family learn what to do should the weather turn nasty and the white caps are threatening to over turn their boat.  It is often the grief an sorrow that become those storms in our lives. Learning how to navigate those sudden losses will determine our ability to weather those storms. 

 God promised us that storms will come. Hard times and tragic losses will occur and when they do God will be there walking every step of the way with us.  As we begin to come out of our fog of grief God will bring other people into our lives who are new to grief and sorrow and he will give us opportunities to encourage and walk with them. God will never waste your pain.