Comforted

Clothes, fresh and warm from the dryer, sat on the couch waiting to be folded. When I was a child, this was an open invitation.

The morning was cool, and chill bumps prickled my arms and legs. I hurried to the couch and jumped onto the pile, wiggling and cocooning myself in the warmth. The clean, honeysuckle scent of laundry soap engulfed me. I smiled and burrowed deeper—sweet comfort. Mom folded them around me. I basked in the middle of her daily chore, but she did not mind my presence. It made her smile.

As a mom, I want to pass little comforts like this on to my own children. When they were little, I would heat their blankets or pajamas in the dryer. They would sigh, smile, and melt beneath the warm covers. When the dryer buzzed, they would come running to the living room, waiting for me to drop the pile onto the couch so that they could cuddle beside the clothes. I did not mind. It made me smile.

Comfort looks different for each of us. For some, it is a cup of hot cocoa, a favorite blanket, a baggy shirt, or a homey place. But our word for comfort comes from the Latin comfortare, which means to strengthen greatly. The prefix com- means “together or with,” and -fort refers to “something strong”—think of a military fort. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:4 that God comforts us. As Paul preached about Jesus, he endured much suffering—beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonment, and poverty. His life hardly seemed comfortable. Yet he taught that God comforts us.

When Paul says God comforts followers of Jesus, he means so much more than providing us with ease and relaxation or a pile of cozy warm clothes. When God comforts his children, he is with us, strengthening us greatly!

God does not say we will not have troubles. He says we will have troubles, but that he has overcome the world (John 16:33)! When we are uncomfortable, God does not waste our struggles. He works them out for good (Romans 8:28). He comforts us by giving us strength to do his will, consoling us, giving us rest, and having compassion for us.

A warm pile of laundry or hot cocoa might relax us for a moment, but remember, God’s comfort strengthens us for a lifetime!