Comfort for a Little Boy's Heart

It's a sad day at the Compton home as we report that Fish Vader and Seawalker, the goldfish, have died. They met their demise before I even had a chance to tell you that they had names.

Marshall is so disappointed that his fish died. It is heartwrenching as a mom to sit hugging your little guy as he cries real tears of sadness because, well, it just makes him so sad. And, there is nothing that I could do to change his circumstances. There is no CPR for goldfish. And, I lack the power to bring them back from the dead.

As I prayed for Marshall before bed, I prayed that Jesus would give him comfort. And, thanked Jesus because He has already promised in His Word to do it. Praise Jesus that I had been living in 2 Corinthians this week and the words from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "[He is] the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles ...," were fresh in my mind and on my heart, ready to share with Marshall.

Leaving Marshall's room that night, I remembered that there is a BSF Home Training Lesson (HTL) that mentions helping kiddos when they face disappointment or trials. I knew I had read it in years past.  But, I am a children's leader at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and I needed to finish my preparation for the next morning's BSF leadership meeting. It was already late, and I didn't have time to dig through my old BSF materials to try and find the lesson. However, I really felt like I needed some direction from the Word about leading Marshall to Jesus in his sadness. 

Sitting down to prepare my children's lesson for leaders' meeting, I began reading the current HTL, the first step in preparing the children's lesson each week. I squealed out loud, by myself at my kitchen counter, as I realized that this week's HTL was the one that I had been thinking of. This was the week that we were covering that topic this year.  The HTL was about comforting your child. Being unable to change his circumstances. Leading him to the Lord who is in control of the circumstances. To the Lord who can provide true comfort in our sadness. It even specifically mentions missing a goldfish! 

The next morning I sat in children's leaders' training time. One of Marshall's sweet teachers shared the Truth she had chosen for hymn time in their class. It was about God's comfort when we are sad. I already knew that the main truth for the week was: "God gives His comfort to us when we are hurt or sad." But something about hearing Marshall's teacher say those words out loud made it click for me that Marshall was going to learn that concept this week. His memory verse would be 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, the verse that I had just shared with him during bedtime prayer. My eyes were brimming with tears and I was overwhelmed with emotion. God orchestrated what Marshall, my son, would be learning in such a timely way. God cares about my baby boy. Because Marshall is His son first.

I know that my son will face more dire circumstances in this life than losing a goldfish. For, "man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." (Job 5:7). But, God is shaping Marshall's heart now, weaving a tapestry of trust. Jesus is using even the loss of goldfish to train Marshall to rely on Himself. He is wooing Marshall. He is giving Marshall tangible ways to experience His comfort. Marshall has parents who hug him and listen to him as he shares his sadness. He has a sister/best friend who made him a drawing of Seawalker and Fish Vader that said I Love You.

Then, through His Word, God reinforces that these comforts come from Himself. He is the God of all comfort.  Some translations of 2 Corinthians 1:3 say that He is the Father of all mercies. All mercies begin with Him. When Marshall faces tough times as his life progresses, he will already know by experience that his God, the one true God, is the God of all comfort. The Creator of the entire universe cares about this little heart that loves Him. Jesus is already working out everything for Marshall's good. (Romans 8:28).  It is as true for my six-year-old as it is for me. Praise Jesus!