Pediatric Cancer Parents and the Gift of Lament

Many years ago, I never imagined I would be writing about lament or about pediatric cancer. Yet, that is part of the story God has written for our family. A

Not only has God provided personal and specific comfort for us, but he has also equipped us to share his broad and abundant comfort toward others.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

I want to offer you two things today:

1. A lament ARTICLE I wrote for a group called Lighthouse Family Retreat. They are a ministry that provides Christian retreats for pediatric cancer families.
2. And an encouragement to spend time reflecting on God’s promises of comfort towards you. How has he displayed his personal comfort toward you and your specific sufferings? And how has he (or is he) prompting you to extend that comfort towards others?

In the June newsletter I shared some suggestions for how to serve our suffering friends in the summer time. Perhaps as you reflect on sharing comfort, some of those suggestions will help prompt other creative ideas for you.

God writes each of our stories differently, but his Word is unchanging and is true for each of us. I would love to hear some of the ways he equips you to serve, comfort and encourage others this summer! Feel free to share in the comments or email me your stories!

Love, Marissa