I came to Ireland in January 2004 pregnant with our fourth child. Shortly after I arrived, things started happening at a faster rate than I could cope with or understand. On the evening of 26th January 2004; I was rushed to the Rotunda Hospital after my water had broken. On examination by doctors in the emergency unit, I was given several reasons why an emergency caesarean section had to be carried out on me.
The first shock I had when I saw my baby was that she was very tiny, weighed about 2.08kg and looked somehow funny. The first striking contrast between Grace and any other baby was that her upper arm was very short, bent upwards from the elbow and very tight; and she had just one finger on each arm. She was so weak and feeble, the doctors said had there been a little delay before the section, she would not have made it. Even after her delivery, she was still very weak and could not tolerate food. Almost everyone thought Grace was going to die.
After a series of tests and examinations on her, she was diagnosed with a condition known as Cornelia de Lang syndrome (for details about this condition, you can visit: corneliadelangesyndrome.org); a very rare medical condition whose prognosis is not known (they claim it just happens), neither does medical science have a cure for it. It is attributed to some genetic disorders.
To say I was devastated is an understatement. Sleep eluded me for days. Where did things go wrong? What does the future hold for me and this child? What…? How…? Why…? So many questions, so many puzzles, no satisfactory answer! It was like my world had come to a standstill. In the midst of my tears, confusion, and hopelessness, I turned to the Lord, the God of all comfort; and He alone was able to comfort me. – Exempt from my Book, “He Gave Me Comfort.”
II Corinthians 1: 3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we, ourselves, are comforted by God.”
How can I also enjoy this comfort of God, you may be wondering? There are many ways of experiencing God’s comfort, but I shall only be examining one here.
His Word – In our times of hurts and pains, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to surround ourselves with the word of God either by reading or playing it loud to our hearing. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, joint and marrow…” These attributes of the word make it possible for it to reach our most profound hurt and hence comfort us.
This was what happened to me. As I read and listened to the Word of God, specific scriptures came alive to me and comforted me in ways that no human being was able to. These scriptures were like medicine to my soul! The same can happen to you if you turn to His word in your time of distress.
I shall be discussing more ways to enjoy the comfort of the Lord during my Life Class sessions this month so make sure to check out the videos on “My Pain Your Gain Ministries” Facebook page or YouTube channel.
Have you enjoyed the comfort of the Lord? Please feel free to share your experience in the comments section below.
