“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”–2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Yesterday I had the opportunity to go mini-golfing with our youth group from church. Last year we had played a round in the rain but this year we lucked out with hot and sunny weather, a perfect summer day. As we collected our clubs and colored golf balls, I heard shouts and laughter coming from the course.
Although I had golf lessons years ago, I am mini-golf “challenged” when it comes to slanting greens, obstacles, water, bumps, and curved walls. Despite hitting the ball at special angles (I was trying to recall Donald Duck’s Mathmagic lesson on hitting pool balls with a cue), I spent more time fishing my ball from the water (see the above photo my daughter took last year), taking 5 shots for a 2-par shot, hitting other people’s balls, or having my ball ricochet off the wall and bounce back to its starting spot. Whether the obstacle was water, a windmill, a ramp, or a curve, I seemed to hit it. Scorecard in hand, our group wandered around the course, laughing, joking, teasing, and all-in-all, having a great time laughing at our mistakes!
Sometimes life feels like a mini-golf course with obstacles, curves, bumps, starting over, and going backwards. It’s great to have the company of other Christians walking alongside us, to help us keep our sense of humor, laugh with us at our mistakes, cry with us when needed, comfort us, and ultimately, help us get to the end of the course.
Paul’s text encourages us to be comforters to others. The ups and downs of life can be challenging, but they can also be shared. Just as God comforts us through our challenges, we can share that comfort with others we come in contact with.
Who might need your comfort today?
Prayer– “God of all comfort, thank you for walking with me in this journey of life. Help me be a comfort to others as they face challenges today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Prayer For All Days 