Wednesday, June 11, 2025

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.” (2 Thessalonians 2: 16 – 17, New Living Translation)

 (I will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks or so as we make our big move to Whitby this week; not sure when the internet will be hooked up. Blessings.)

           Eulogy for my big, blue comfy recliner. Thank you for your embracive welcome as I sat in you over the last several years. Thank you for allowing me to snuggle in your soft solace when I was recovering from shoulder surgery and other illnesses. Thank you for the hours spent in you watching baseball games by the score. Thank you for giving me moments of reflection from where some of these blogs were inspired from. I have watched church services, watched family videos, participated in on-line committee meetings, played endless video games, all from the comfort of your hugging hold on me. I am grateful for all those years but the time has come to say good-bye as we make this move. Parting is such sweet sorrow…

            You might be thinking, “Get a grip, Soble. You’re losing it! You're off your rocker.” (Pay attention - it's a recliner.) 

            But it has me thinking about comfort. What gives you comfort in your life? It might be as simple as some ice cream or a cold drink on a hot day to something more serious like the good company of friends and family during times of stress and challenges. It might be a favourite Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer. It might be recalling favourite memories or spending time sitting on a dock along the water.  It might be the love from a pet. It might be reading a good book or taking time to meditate or pray.  We all find comfort in different ways and we all need comfort from time to time in, Comfort is the time we take to catch our breath, find our equilibrium, refocus on what matters, seek guidance, repurpose ourselves and seek strength and courage.

            Jesus understood the need for comfort. “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) We mourn not only after the loss of a loved one but we may mourn lost loves, loss of faith, loss of a job, loss of a marriage, loss of a friend, loss of health, loss of youth and its vitality. We look for comfort in these types of occasions, something which will give up some energy, some hope, some encouragement or some reassurance. We need something which nurtures our spirits and boosts our morale.

            Of course, Jesus promised that we would never face anything alone in our lives. “No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.” (John 14:18) Not only does this point to a hopeful future, Jesus also recognized that we need his Spirit in the here and now. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” (John 14:16) Some translations use the word “Comforter” instead of “Advocate”. Either way, we are never alone, never without Someone on our side and in our corner and invested in our well-being.  “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” (Romans 8:26)

            The idea of a force that will never leave us is a source of great comfort. ”Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and staff protect and comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

It was a very comfortable chair. But, whereas chairs get old and lumpy over time, God through Christ and the Holy Spirit covers me constantly with their  Love, Grace and Mercy. And that never gets old or tired! 

Dale