Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us that “What has been, will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

I commented to my sister once that I felt like I was living my mother’s life. At the time those words spilled out of my mouth it was not meant in a positive way.  Although my circumstances were different, I felt like I imagined my mom felt: Shaken. Devastated. Angry. Hurt. Alone.

But as I look back, I now say, “I hope to live the way my mother lived”. My mom walked along side women that were going through difficulty. She prayed, shared truth, and she was a comfort and an encouragement to many. She was faithful. She modeled grace and that grace eternally impacted even the one who hurt her. My dad gave his life to Jesus, and he was forever changed. This doesn’t always happen, but we can be assured that others are watching how we live in the dark.

At one time or another we will all experience pain, betrayal, or loss. Many who have, do it alone: Suffering in silence, retreating and putting on a happy face all while quietly dying on the inside. My heart is that women will know they are not alone. There is hope. The Lord led Cathy and I to start Sanctuary in Trauma to walk alongside the hurting and broken, sharing tools we have learned along our journeys.

Because nothing is new under the sun, we can comfort those with the same comfort we have received from the Lord. II Corinthians 1:3. He is the God of all HOPE.

By Jane