Comfort and joy
Isaiah 49:13 (NIV)
13 Shout for joy, O heavens; Rejoice, O earth; Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.
Good morning!
My grandparents lived in an old two-story farmhouse just outside of Eldon, Missouri for many years. Their farm was situated atop of a hill, surrounded by several small ponds, and green meadows covered in an array of wild flowers. The view from their back porch was incomparable. I loved visiting their farm each weekend, and I especially enjoyed the beauty of each season.
Wintertime at the farm was spectacular. Sometimes, it was a challenge just getting there. It took hours to maneuver the snow and ice-packed roads up the hill to the farm. When we would come to visit, my grandfather and uncle would have to plow a way with the tractor. It was a three-mile stretch of gravel roadway, winding up and down the Ozark hills. There were times when they would meet us at the edge of the gravel road, and we would slowly creep behind the tractor all the way up the hill to the farm. Once inside, we would sit by the pot-belied wood-burning stove to warm up. Our faces would become rudy and chapped from the dry wood crackling inside the stove. Grandma and Grandpa did not have central heating, and consequently, the upstairs bedrooms could be very chilly at night. I loved climbing up onto the large feather bed, and sinking down underneath the warm comforters my grandmother had lovingly quilted. Her comforters were some of the finest in the county. Brightly colored piece quilts, thick with warm batting, blanketed the four poster bed where I slept at night. No matter how much ice and snow covered the ground outside, I knew Grandma’s quilts would keep me safe and warm inside.
In the morning after a hearty breakfast, we would don our snow beast suits and ride sleds down the hill to the pond. We would slip and slide across the frozen water, tossing snowballs and watching the deer strolling through the woods nearby. After getting chilled through, I looked forward to wrapping up in Grandma’s colorful comforters while sitting by the fire and thawing out. Her steamy hot chocolate covered in marshmallow goo made coming inside worthwhile. The older I get, the colder my hands and feet become. I find myself longing to wrap up in the warmth and love of my Grandmother’s handmade comforters.
God’s love is like a warm, handmade comforter. He wraps us in His mercy and grace, and keeps us safe and warm through the dark, cold nights of winter. He shows compassion on the afflicted, and our hearts sing out with great joy. My grandmother knew the Lord. With every perfect stitch, she told His story time and again. She used her talent to express God’s love to each of us, and we saw Him through her handiwork. God’s comfort is extended through the hearts of those who love Him. I may never quilt a comforter as warm as my grandmother’s, but I can extend the warmth and welcome of Christ through love.
Share the warmth of God’s comfort with someone you know today. His compassion is everlasting, and His love never fails. We are safe in the shelter of His hand. Come inside and thaw out. He is waiting to warm you with the light of His love.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: His comfort to wrap you up, keeping you safe and warm, as He fills your heart with songs of joy. The Lord comforts His people and His compassion will never fail.
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© Copyright 2006, Deb Spaulding
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