The consolation of the sufferer is the fact that God does not abandon the human in her hour of most desperate need.

The consolation of the sufferer is the fact that God does not abandon the human in her hour of most desperate need.
We were too young for something like this. Only 22 years old, and we had buried our own child.
Reflecting on those moments, I think I experienced what some call the “already-not yet,” the wonderful truth and the hard heartache of the Easter season.
Take a moment of silence to meditate upon Christ's sacrifice for us.
How can we sing and believe the words “it is well with my soul” at times when it feels anything but? How can we walk through the “valley of the shadow” when it feels like another trial or loss might be the one that finally breaks us?
To be ready for Christ when he comes, our hearts must first be prepared for him. This is why the church originally celebrated the season of Advent before the season of Christmas—four weeks of preparation, candle-lighting, and quiet anticipation, followed by twelve days of feast and joyous celebration: the famous twelve days of Christmas.