God of all Comfort!

[Trektiger Jack]

The Bible tells us God is the God of all Comfort! God's sources are limitless when we permit Him to minister comfort to our grieving souls. Consider how God used a dragonfly in the following story and the story that follows the story. I received the following story via an email dated, August 21, 2004. The events shared after the story are true, just as our God is the God of all Truth!

"The Dragonfly"

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Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads,

there lived a little water beetle in a community of water

beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond

with few disturbances and interruptions.

Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of

their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and

would never be seen again. They knew when this happened; their

friend was dead, gone forever.

Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge

to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would

not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what

he had found at the top.

When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the

surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so

warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body

changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful

blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body

designed for flying.

So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole

new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never

known existed.

Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking

by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and

explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been

before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.

But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could

not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he

understood that their time would come, when they, too, would

know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off

into his joyous new life!

~Author Unknown~

================

The People and Things That God Uses To Bring Comfort -

Several days after receiving this email I again read the story and it so thrilled my spirit I thought it needed to be sent to others who would enjoy it as much as I did. So I emailed to our three daughters and three sons who have very busy lives, thinking some in the family may take the time and enjoy this wonderful story. After another couple days and only two "Thanks" responses, I concluded not many thought this story was as good as I thought it was.

Then still after a couple days one of our sons, Doug, called to tell us of a very unusual happening involving this story.

Doug and his wife Kelly have three children (12, 14, 16). A school and church friend of Jaima (the 14 year old) was killed last week in a tragic auto accident. His name was Nate. Nate's mother and father were naturally overcome with grief, the mother wept and cried often. The father, a mild-manner quiet sort of fellow was holding up pretty well considering his grief. The wake itself had so many come offering their condolences it lasted from 4-10 PM. This is public record, but what is not, is what happened next.

It was during this grieving period of time, Jaima and several other friends of Nate went over to help his mother with house-work and to be a comfort to her. Jaima took a hard copy of "The Dragonfly" story and gave it to Nate's mother. She read it and cried and put it in her purse. Later, at another location, she was picked up by her husband and while he was driving home she read the story Jaima had given her. He no longer could control himself and broke down and cried. When they arrived home, and upon opening the car door, a DRAGONFLY flew into the car and lit upon the palm of his hand. It just stay there. It wouldn't leave his palm. He went into the house and the dragonfly continued clinging to his palm. He then took it out back of the house and put it on the trunk of a tree.

An amazing story indeed! After you have read this story, I'm sure you'll agree with me that God is a God of all comfort. The grief of losing a loved one is a terrible event in one's life -- great and exceedingly crushing -- and yet while in deep despair, God can lift you up. Sometimes He uses a Dragonfly!

God Blessl

[yomotalking]

God can lift us up.

Amen.