From Lloyd E. Newell and his Book “This Day and Always”:
Blessed are They Who Comfort. Whether in death, disease, or despair, sweet relief can come from kind people who make efforts to ease the grief or trouble of others. A compassionate touch, a thoughtful note, a listening ear, or even a lighthearted diversion gives strength and hope to those who suffer.
We may recognize the need for comfort but not know how to give it. Perhaps we’re uncertain about what to say or do when others are hurting. Each of us have struggled to find the right words, the best gesture, the most meaningful token. We wish we could explain the inexplicable, repair shattered hearts, or restore justice. But sometimes the best we can do is just be there to share the sorrow.
One woman suggests that comfort is found in companionship. She explains: “Maybe we have to learn that there is no ‘solution’ for suffering. Everyone has some of it sooner or later. What helps is to have one or two people around who keep trying to understand, who are willing to just hold our hand as we walk through it.”1 All of which require sensitivity and good judgment. Sometimes heartache becomes more bearable when we can talk about it. And other times a warm embrace is reassuring .
Or as a father recalls, a well timed outing can be consoling. The burden of his young son’s death was eased when a friend took him for a ride in his convertible. The sun showered them with warmth. The wind wiped away his tears. The hum of the car drowned out his sorrows for a moment in time. They didn’t talk much, but somehow his suffering had been shared. He felt healing begin to take place.
But where can we turn when our sorrow cannot be shared, when we find ourselves without a companion? The Lord, who suffered for all, assures us that we will never be left alone.2 Ironically we usually find Him and His promised peace while looking out for others in need of comfort. ~Lloyd D. Newell, This Day and Always (Salt Lake City: Bonneville Communications, 1999), 30-31
