Comfort

Our lives are marked by human frailty; we are deeply flawed, but we can rest in the comfort of knowing that God has made us new in Christ.  In our times of trouble, we can look to Him for
confidence. 2nd Corinthians 4 states:
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Paul, who wrote these words, was no stranger to adversity - he had been opposed by the religious leaders, his life had been repeatedly threatened, and he wrote much of the New Testament from prison.  But, in the middle of it all, he expressed confidence that the "life of Jesus" would be expressed through Him.  We can also look for ways to call attention to, to give glory to, our Savior in the difficulties we experience.

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Psalms described God as our "ever-present help in trouble."  The Holy Spirit, according to Jesus, was
given as our Comforter, and we read in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

By now, you've probably heard the tragic story - what is called a "duck boat," which is a vehicle that can travel on land or sea, embarking on a journey on a lake near Branson, Missouri.  A storm turns violent, rocking the vehicle with 31 people aboard.  17 of them lose their lives, including nine who were members of the same family.  One of the family members, Tia Coleman, lost her husband and three children in the tragedy.

On Saturday, she was talking to the press at the hospital, where she was recovering from her injuries, sustained in the course of a fight for her life.  She is from Indianapolis, and the hometown newspaper, the Indianapolis Star, reported on her comments. Tia was very honest; she said: "I don't know if there is a recovery from it," adding, "The biggest thing is a lot of prayer. A lot of prayer, a lot of support. It's only the beginning so I don't know."

She related her own survival story; the newspaper article stated:

After the boat capsized, Coleman said, "I thought I was dead. I didn't know how to get out."

The water was cold, so she knew she was near the bottom of the lake. People on the boat were told the lake stays warm near the surface.

"I just remember kicking and swimming up to the top, and I was praying," Coleman said. "I said, Lord, 'Please let me get to my babies. I got to get to my babies.'"

Coleman floated to the surface, swallowing a lot of water while trying to survive.

"The waves were crashing over my face and every time I'd get my head a little bit above water, I screamed, 'Help. Help,'" Coleman said. "And finally I came up to the surface. I saw a great big boat, like a riverboat. Oh, my God, they were jumping in, saving people. They were throwing life rafts to everybody. Somehow I managed to get to the boat.

"When they pulled me up, I didn't see any of my family, but I believe I survived by God and good samaritans."

The article said, "Faith was a consistent theme in her answers to reporters' questions. Someone asked if she could find a reason for what happened." Her response, "It's not a thinking matter for me. I tried it," adding, "It's something I can't comprehend, I can't explain. I don't have the capacity to understand it. The only thing is, God must have something for me because there's no way I should be here."

A subsequent article on the newspaper's website explored the response of people of faith in Indianapolis. It reported that the pastor at Zion Tabernacle Apostolic Church announced Tia was coming home.  The story stated:

"We all have been touched by it and we're all struggling because we all love Tia," said Beverly Reese, a member of Zion Tabernacle since 1985 who has known Tia Coleman since she was a little girl. "I had her through children's ministry. I was there when she graduated from high school. She is just a very, very sweet child, and we just want to tell her that we love her and we're praying like never before because we know this takes God and him only.

Zion Tabernacle's pastor, Thomas Griffith, said that Tia "grew up" at Zion Tabernacle and her mother still attends. The article said, "Coleman and her immediate family have since become members of God's Love Christian Church, where Victor Morrissey is the pastor," adding, "God's Love was closed Sunday as Morrissey has been by Tia Coleman's side in Missouri."

Griffith related that, "The church has gotten condolences and well-wishes, really not just from across the country, but from various parts of the globe," adding, "There are people right now praying for this family and this situation, and this story has just made it around the globe. … We really want to hold this family up in prayer."

Some observations about this lady who survived a tragedy, that claimed the lives of her immediate family and members of her extended family, as well as some principles we can apply.  

For one thing, she was quick to acknowledge God's hand.  As the pastor told the Indy Star, "She came forth as a witness. Every third or fourth word out of her mouth was giving glory to God, and that is where the rubber meets the road...In situations like that, you've got to have it down in your heart." She certainly believed that God enabled her to survive, and that prayer is going to play a critical role in the recovery from losing members of her family.  It's important that we maintain the proper perspective in the troubles we encounter - we may be tempted to look away from the Lord, but He is calling us to look to Him.

When we look to Him, we can know that He is not unacquainted with trouble.  We encounter disappointment and loss throughout our lives, and while we may question why those things may occur, we can still look for His presence, so that we can know His comfort and peace.  He is in the midst of the storm with us, and we can continue to acknowledge how we see His faithfulness.

Tia Coleman related that God enabled her to survive for a reason; and certainly, she was testifying about Him in that press conference on Saturday.  We can think together: if we're here on this earth - still here - there is a reason for that.  He desires to receive glory through His expression of His life through us.