A Doona From Down Under

I received an email today with some “Holy Humor.” Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter about the lesson.
The daughter  answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt."
Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed.  Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what the morning's Sunday school lesson was about.
He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is here."


Over the last few weeks God has been teaching me to rely on Him as my comforter through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit has been there to guide and counsel me but I didn’t allow myself to have a need for His comfort. John 14:16, 18 And I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever;  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

At lifegroup, my friend Melinda said that she saw Jesus covering me with a comforter.  That evening my devotional talked about God wrapping me up in His peace like a warm blanket so that my heart would stay close to His.   Wow, blanket…comforter. God was being creative and clever with me because He knows that I love words.

He brought it all together when I went to an event to raise money for the A21 Campaign.  The campaign helps women who have had precious things stolen from them through human trafficking.  There were ways to donate to the cause by picking out an item to buy that would furnish their new facility in the Ukraine.  I picked up a tag that said “doona.”  I had no idea what a doona was but the price was exactly what I felt God wanted me to donate.  As I wrote my check out, I asked, “What is a doona anyway?”  I absolutely LOVE God… A doona is what the Aussies from down under call a “comforter.”  I felt like God said that I was purchasing a comforter but it represented much more.  He didn’t expect this woman, who had endured hell on earth, to suck it up and deal with the fact that she had been abused every day of her captivity too many times to count.   The comforter symbolized Him wrapping His big arms around her and enveloping her with His love and comfort. He wanted to hold her and whisper in her ear, “It’s all going to be okay.  I’m with you.”

Sometimes I convince myself that I don’t need comfort because I know how much God loves me.  However, the thing called LOVE can be messy. We can’t walk in love and keep the door to our heart closed. To give and receive love, requires an open heart. There are no bullet-proof vests for our heart because that would restrict the flow of His love to others.  We have to be childlike in our walk of faith and love.  This means that I don’t automatically have a good comeback and I don’t have a weapon to fire back at someone when their words or actions cut me.  My weapon is love and believing the best…in spite of the bad behavior.  Sometimes I get smacked with unkind words and I’m expected to NOT defend myself.  Bridget Jones’ Diary talks about “jellyfish” comments.  The sarcastic ones where you don’t know you were insulted until they have walked away. Wow!  That has happened to me quite a few times.  “I like that shirt but I would never wear it.”  What do you say to that but ouch!

I’m not saying you don’t guard your heart to repeat offenders or open yourself up to continual wounding without boundaries. The unfortunate part of life is that sometimes the enemy uses those closest to us to wound,  especially if they have perceived an offense from US.

God wants to be our God of justice, to right the wrongs in our life, but we can convince ourselves that we need to be in charge. Isaiah 30:18
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Here are two scenarios in which I am in charge:

Scenario A.  I force myself to submit to punishment and be a doormat.  I feel like I HAVE to forgive….that it’s not a choice or a gift that I am able to give from my heart in obedience to Jesus….This scenario means that I leave God out of the picture to be my comforter and my defender and I swallow my hurt.

Scenario B. I fight all my own battles.  I am kicking butt and taking names. Nobody puts Jennifer in a corner.

I’ve walked on both sides of the fence.  Pre-Jesus I was definitely scenario B…and the B might stand for another little word we all know.  I was a Big B! If you crossed me get ready for it because I would rip you apart with my words. I NEVER cried and I said it with pride! I went through three divorces and never shed a tear!  Now I cry almost daily but it is because my heart is open and soft to the things of God. 

I experienced scenario A after I surrendered to Jesus, I knew that I could not continue being so cold hearted. As a Christian, I thought that you had to be a doormat with no power or protection. If they want your shirt then you have to give them your coat too.  If they slap you, turn the other cheek and let them slap you again.  These things are true and written in His wonderful Word but they, again, leave Jesus out of the picture if it isn’t from the heart and through direction from the Holy Spirit.  With Jesus, things aren’t taken from you or done to you through abuse but GIVEN by choice… Remember Jesus knew where He came from and where He was going so He WILLINGLY laid His life down as a servant to wash the disciples feet.  No man TOOK His life.  He GAVE it as a sacrifice of love on the cross for you and for me. (John 10:18 and John 13:3-5)

Here's another scenario that I now prefer:  Let Him comfort and be my God of justice! I can cry out to Jesus and be real about my pain in our intimate relationship.  No, I don’t call everyone and whine or gossip everytime someone hurts my feelings.  When I am hurt, I fall and cry at His feet.  He longs to be my comforter and my defender. He is my strength and my shield.  He fights my battles for me.  Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”  I love the message version of that scripture:  “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!  Isaiah 54:17 says “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, 
And their righteousness is FROM ME,” Says the LORD.” 

I feel our relationship grow in intimacy as I trust Him with my heart.  He is a defender of the weak.  Sometimes I don’t know how to receive His comfort!  To receive His comfort, I don’t have to be strong or have it all figured out.  Honestly, to cry makes me feel helpless and it’s uncomfortable for me not to be in control of myself…like I should have the answer because I have Jesus but He tells me I am a High Priest who understands your weaknesses.  When I am weak with Him it allows Him to be strong in me. 

He's got a doona for you too!  Your comforter is here! You only have to receive it as a gift from the Holy Spirit.  


Response and testimony to the blog from my friend, Nancy Cave.  I think some might relate to this testimony!


This was so good and and such truth. I am so glad you wrote about this. This subject is so dear to my heart because I too had to let the Holy Spirit graciously teach me how to forgive, heal, and not keep a record of wrong through the power of His Spirit, not my own.  Not that I have it all together even now, but He has taught me how to recognize the signs when I begin to fall back into my old way of stuffing it down as a good Christian, rather than allowing The Comforter to take care of it by comforting my pain or hurt first, then letting the healing process begin. Sometimes it is very quick, sometimes it takes more time. That is okay because He knows my heart...I desire to walk in His love, compassion and forgiveness with no records of wrong against anyone. He takes care of the rest because He truly knows me inside and out.  About the crying, I was the opposite. I cried at the drop of a hat. Two reasons.  One, I had so much hurt, pain and rejection stored up inside me and so fearful of standing my ground on anything. I didn't even know who "me" was...if that makes any sense, but it is true. Two, because I had such mercy and compassion that it was out of balance with the other stuff in my life. God spared my life because I did cry so much! I was so suicidal and hated myself so much that if I did not cry and release some of the pain I would never have survived to enjoy my children and grandchildren. That is why I always share that tears are healing and to never be ashamed of them. They are a sign, provided by Jesus, for healing and ministering, to your very deepest emotional needs. Whether it is unforgiveness, pain, anger, or whatever...He is taking care of it and washing it away. Sometimes little  by little and sometimes,like a flood, it is all washed away at once. But, as you said the Comforter is here "to comfort" if we will just welcome Him with open arms and heart rather than saying "I already took care of it, I'm okay now I gave it to God." This is happens so many times, then... it crops up again.  This is what the Lord spoke to me a few years back about a certain incident ... ME: Lord, I don't understand why this keeps coming up, i forgave this incident. What is going on? LORD: I remember you saying that to yourself...but I don't remember you taking time to talk to me about it . If you will sit before me and take the time to ask me about it, we will get to the heart of the matter. I will show you things and then you will forgive completely, because you came "through" me. The hurt will be healed, and what caused it to hurt so deeply. That is when I realized I had stepped into the "being a good Christian and finding forgiveness and healing in my own power" rather than His power. I needed to follow His process of forgiveness and healing and allow Him to comfort me during those times...which means giving Him the time and opportunity to do it His way, not mine. A quick fix is just that, it is a surface fix. The Comforter covers us with the warmth of His love that we feel from the depths of our very being.  It is complete.  


Sorry, about how long this is but I love your transparent heart. This will draw so many people to you that you will be able to minister freedom to their hearts. The Lord is doing so much in our lives.  by Nancy Cave