Mama Monday #74

 

Here is a passage from Thursday’s lectionary and a reflection to share… XOXO….
 
2 Corinthians 1:1-11-- New International Version
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:
² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise to the God of All Comfort
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Lectio reflections on 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
God comforts us
so that we can comfort others.
His mercy moves through us
and we become wounded healers.
 
There are moments
we run out of strength
and our hearts fall to the ground
but even then,
God is our rescuer.
 
Some things are so hard
and so heavy
that we stop relying on ourselves,
and we remember
we were never meant to carry it alone.
 
When our suffering seems to go on
and on
and on,
may we have eyes to see
and hearts to receive
the strength of God—
a strength that endures
and goes on
and on
and on.
 
God’s grace is custom-fit,
like a well-tailored suit—
made precisely
for the weight we carry
and the moment we’re in.
 
Let us set our hearts
on the One who raises the dead,
the One who rescues again and again,
faithful in every storm.
 
And as we walk this road together,
our prayers can become bridges—
lifting others,
holding hope,
weaving stories of grace.
He has delivered us.
He continues to deliver us.
And He will deliver us again.
 
God comforts us
so we can be His vessels
to share that comfort
to all the world.