Father of Mercies, and God of all Comfort

On Sunday, October 19, my pastor's mom, Ana(Ana's Corner) and Leah's(The White Woods) grandma, died. While God's grace was obviously surrounding the family, the loss of a loved one is always very hard. It was an encouragement to hear Pastor Phil and his brother speak at the funeral. To hear the words of faith and hope in God through sorrow, and the emphasis on the importance of knowing God. This week has been a week of remembrance for me, as I have had a different view of an all too familiar situation. Its a different family with different circumstances, but it hits a familiar note. I am thankful for the trials God has led me through, and I hope that He will allow me to use those experiences to help other Christians through trials. Many verses have become dear to me over the past months, but this week 2 Corinthians 1:1-10 seems to be the most applicable to my life and the lives of those around me. 2 Corinthians 1:1-10 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.