Have You Been There?

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uring trips to France, most of our students spend several days shopping, trying to find perfect souvenir for that special someone.  They come armed with lists from people back home asking for everything from perfume to postcards.  Every member of our group has at least five people who all want a little piece of France, something to prove they know someone who has been there.

As for myself, I purchase very few, if any, souvenirs.  Instead, I take snapshots and try to drink in as many special moments as I can.  I visit the bakeshops, go to several cafés, visit a few restaurants, and take several walks in my favorite sections of the city.  I don’t come back with bags and pockets full of key chains, saltshakers, or little silver spoons. The only items I have that prove I visited France include my pictures, my airplane boarding passes, and the stamps in my passport proving I entered and exited the country.

I do, however, buy a few small items to bring back to the States for a very special people.  They want something from France, something that would prove the place exists so I accommodate them as best I can.  It is easy for me to speak of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Seine River, etc. because I have actually been there and have seen these things first-hand.  The fact I have been there in person causes those with whom I share my experiences to believe me.  They know I have been there and that gives them all the more reason to believe my stories and experiences are true.

Daily life is sometimes more adventurous than a trip to Europe.  We encounter all types of challenging experiences in life and we appreciate those people who fully understand by virtue of having experienced the same circumstances we are experiencing.   It is one thing to tell someone who is about to undergo surgery that you can understand their fear.  But if you’ve ever undergone the same surgery, you can give them insight and encouragement the average person can’t.  Someone who has never had surgery simply cannot empathize with someone who is facing a major operation.  What we want is someone who has been there and experienced the same thing first-hand.

There is a biblical basis for this and it is found in Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth.  Paul knew that sometimes life throws us curves and he also knew the road of life frequently takes uphill climbs.  Who better to encourage his fellow Christians than someone who spent time in prison, who was beaten, who was shipwrecked, and who was himself persecuted in so many ways?  Perhaps that is why Paul writes the following in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

In this passage Paul explains why it is we go through trials and difficulties in life.  Notice his words of encouragement that God, Himself, is our comfort.  God is our refuge and shield as the Psalmist says, but He is also our comfort.  God comforts us when we are hurting, when we are disappointed, when we are sick, and when we simply are tired of the journey.  He does this so that we can encourage and comfort others who are experiencing the same things in life.  Notice that he admonishes us to comfort others with the same comfort we received from God.  This means that not only do we understand the situation in which others find themselves, but we also can share the joy of God’s comfort with them because we have experienced it ourselves.

Wherever you are in your walk with God today, know this:  God is aware of your situation and He knows everything you are feeling and experiencing right now.  He wants to comfort and he will comfort you in every situation.  But don’t be surprised to find out that he will call on you to share that comfort with someone else who is hurting or who is facing trying circumstances.  You will be a source of encouragement and strength when they look at you and ask, “Have you been there?”  You can say with all confidence, “Yes, I have been there and I know that God has been there too because he was there with me.”  Are you ready to comfort someone today?