Comfort and Consolation

"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 tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NKJV Do you ever wonder why trials & tragedies occur? Do you ever ask "Where was GOD when...?" Do you ever find it difficult to cling to your faith when life is beating you to a pulp? Well, I do. Yes, I admit it--I am a man of faith & a minister of the Gospel, but sometimes I struggle to understand why things happen, why GOD allows pain & suffering, why people rob, rape, & murder others, why there is sickness & death, why prejudices and social injustices exist, WHY? Why do some people seem to live lives of relative ease without seeming to have problems and other seem to be plagued by difficult circumstances & events throughout their lives? On a personal level--I fail to understand why has my life been touched by practically every situation the devil can throw at me. I look back over my life and wonder. I had pretty decent childhood. My parents remained married until my dad's death. It was the first & only marriage for both. I was raised in church. I went to a Christian school. I was a typical rebellious teenager. I strayed from my upbringing, got involved in drugs, alcohol & sex. I smoked & I got caught shoplifting. I wasn't a model child, but my picture didn't grace the Post Office walls either. My mother is still in denial--she still insists that I was a good kid. I guess that is what she chooses to believe or remember, rather than remembering finding cigarettes, pot, porn & alcohol in my room when i was a teen. OK, so I was a hellion--pure & simple. I outgrew all of it and turned out to be a somewhat decent human being. Still, my life has been touched by much adversity, many disappointments, and many tragedies--but GOD had His hand on me, even when I was deep in the stench of the world. I think all the problems I've encountered throughout life have made me understand & relate to people & their struggles. Isn't that what life is really all about? Truly, no man is an island. Each life touches so many others--either negatively or positively. I want to live in such a way that people know I am a Christian by my actions, speech & lifestyle. I want to be able to offer them the hope I have in Christ when they are facing hard times. I want them to know the peace that passes all understanding, the peace in knowing GOD is in control even when life seems to be spinning out of control--as it often does. GOD can use all things (Romans 8:28) for our good & His glory. I'm convinced that He allows some seemingly disastrous things into our lives to teach us, to stretch us, to grow us--so that when the time comes and others are facing life's difficulties, we can truly say, "I know how you feel, because I've been there and GOD brought me through it." We can say that with all genuineness and sincerity because it is part of the testimony of what GOD has done in our lives. Each life creates a ripple effect in the lives of those it comes in contact with. Think about that when you meet someone with different views, from a different background, from a different ethnic group, someone homeless, someone wealthy, someone hurting... We all have an opportunity each day to allow our lives & our testimonies to give hope to others. It's time we stopped selfishly thinking about ourselves & our comforts and reach out to a hurting world. One life can make a big difference--look at the life of Christ. Look at the life of Billy Graham. Look at the life of Rev Martin Luther King Jr. Look at the life of Mother Teresa. There are so many who made the choice to make a difference & what a difference they have made in this world. While our names may never be in the History books, rest assured--they will remain known to GOD & remain known to those whose lives we impacted, either negatively or positively... Be blessed! Tony