When You Need Someone with Skin!

             Tough days and even tougher nights.  We’ve all had them.  Those are the times that we wish Christ had skin so we could just cuddle up in His arms and let Him make everything right again.  Knowing He is with us doesn’t always keep us from asking “why”.  Why me?  Why another problem, especially when you feel like you have already had your share?  The “why” can almost overwhelm us at times.

            Paul, in II Corinthians, gives us one possible answer to those questions.  Perhaps it is so that we can comfort others who are experiencing the same kinds of trials and problems.  I’ve often watched as ladies rally around another lady who has been diagnosed with cancer or has a child with an addiction.  Why?  Because they have been there.  They’ve experienced those sleepless nights not knowing if the treatment will work or wondering where their child was sleeping.  They know the roller coaster of emotions and the pain.  Those experiences give them the empathy to provide compassion, hope, and most importantly, understanding.

            As Jesus walked this earth, His experiences as a human being gave Him that same kind of empathy.  He knows what it’s like to be hated and talked about behind His back.  He felt the sting of betrayal by someone He befriended.  He knows the pain of rejection by His family, and He experienced the death of someone He loved.  God even knows what it’s like to lose a child. 

Why are these realities important to remember when we experience hatred or betrayal or rejection or grief of loss?  Because it is a reminder to us that He is the “Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.”  He loves us, so His compassion and comfort are natural, but He also empathizes with us.  He has felt the same pain and sorrow, and while He might not have skin, that doesn’t make Him any less real in our lives.  Often, it is those of us who do have skin who are His hands and feet, expressing His compassion and comfort. 

Remember, no matter what you face, you are not alone. You have brothers and sisters in Christ who know your heartaches and long to comfort and encourage you.  More importantly, you have a Father who has compassion and desires to comfort you as only He can.  He may provide the “skin” through fellow Christians, but He will also provide a peace that will feel as though you are snuggled in His arms if you will only let Him. 

Don’t forget that there may also be someone else out there who desperately needs your comfort and compassion.  They need someone who has experienced the same kind of pain and sorrow.  That someone could be you!

II Corinthians 1: 3, 4

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