The God of Comfort

This last month has been very difficult starting with the birth of our fourth child who has Down syndrome and a heart problem. She has been in the hospital for the last month and still needs surgery sometime.The night before she was born I glued this poem into the little notebook I had made to keep me encouraged during my 'hospital' stay. I have read it many times since and I love it!

I love the phrase 'The God of Comfort' and have found this true over this last month. God often uses people around us to encourage and help us when we're going through a hard time.

During the first week and a half, my other children went to my Mum's which is about 5 hours away.  Although I needed the break, I found it really hard to be separated from them as they are all little. One day I was struggling with this, and at 10:00 in the evening in the expressing room in the hospital I met another mum who was going through exactly the same thing. What she said to me really helped me and I knew God had sent her to encourage me.

Another time during the evening in the hospital again, a nurse came over to talk to me because she had a child with Down Syndrome, too. She sat and chatted for a while and shared her experiences and answered my questions.
And  then there was the nurse who happened to mention that she was from a big family. It turned out that she was from a family of 10 girls and 2 boys. My family has 10 girls and 1 boy!
Yesterday I got to go to church for the first time since being here which was a blessing in itself. It was a church we hadn't been to before. We had been there a few minutes before one lady came up and introduced herself as one of the nurses in the Nicu who has looked after our baby!
Just a few of the many things/people God has used to encourage me!
God is good and will give us many blessings during the hard times if we don't give up hope in Him!

I have been through the valley of weeping,

The valley of sorrow and pain;

But the "God of all comfort" was with me,

At hand to uphold and sustain.

 

As the earth needs the clouds and sunshine,

Our souls need both sorrow and joy;

So He places us oft in the furnace,

The dross from the gold to destroy.

 

When He leads thro' some valley of trouble,

His omnipotent hand we trace;

For the trials and sorrows He sends us,

Are part of His lessons in grace.

 

Oft we shrink from the purging and pruning,

Forgetting the Husbandman knows

That the deeper the cutting and paring,

The richer the cluster that grows.

 

Well He knows that affliction is needed;

He has a wise purpose in view,

And in the dark valley He whispers,

"Hereafter Thou'lt know what I do."

 

As we travel thro' life's shadow'd valley,

Fresh springs of His love ever rise;

And we learn that our sorrows and losses,

Are blessings just sent in disguise.

 

So we'll follow wherever He leadeth,

Let the path be dreary or bright;

For we've proved that our God can give comfort;

Our God can give songs in the night.