A friend sent me this quote by Barbara Johnson: “We all go through pain and sorrow, but the presence of God, like a warm, comforting blanket, can shield us and protect us, allowing the deep inner joy to surface, even in the most devastating circumstances.”

A warm, comforting blanket—what does that feel like for you? As the nights get cooler each fall, when you put that extra layer of a warm blanket on, it provides relief; the shivering stops, and the teeth chattering subsides. You may not realize it, but you are probably providing that level of comfort to someone you know.

What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:3–5

It seems it is the giving, not the receiving, that truly provides us joy—what a paradox! So, look around: the Lord has allowed us to go through our own troubles. Why? So we can provide help and comfort to others—which, in turn, provides us joy!

So today, Lord, we thank You for providing us the trials to learn, to be broken, to be so desperate that when a warm blanket is placed on us, we feel the comfort. Now, Lord, we pray for You to allow us to be the warm blanket for someone else. If we don’t see that person today, Lord, allow him or her to seek us out!

Have a Joyful Day.