Do you know someone whose smile lights up a room? That is my friend, Megan. Life has not always been easy for her. Experiencing an amazing childhood filled with a loving family and friends, things began to change when her family moved back to their family home in Illinois. As she entered a new school with established friendships, Megan faced many difficulties with school and fitting in. Even after graduating, Megan could not clearly see the next steps and faced her share of difficulties.

Though she loved and followed Jesus, she could not see the gifts and abilities He had given her, the tender and compassionate heart, the beautiful person God created her to be. She never quite settled into life and made some mistakes, and then cancer hit.

Megan’s cancer, though very treatable, has been filled with side effects. She has shown incredible courage, still giving off her incredible smile. She makes a difference to those around her, and she scarcely knows it. She shows people love like Jesus, helping others see Him through her.

Along with many others, I have had the privilege of praying for Megan. An added blessing is the opportunity I recently had to visit Megan’s home and see those prayers answered as I saw her ministering into the lives of those around her, the same type of love Paul saw in Philemon.

“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” (Philemon 1:4-7)

Walking through the farmer’s market, we ran into a classmate from Megan’s elementary days. This young man told Megan how her friendship had helped him when he was rejected by others. She became this boy’s friend and stood up for him when others made fun of him. She encouraged him and stood by his side, and now he stood by her, sharing how much that meant to him. Megan had helped him through school by showing God’s love when few did.

Attending church Sunday, Megan was greeted by a disabled girl, who had her share of struggles. She wondered why Megan wore a headscarf, and Megan explained about losing her hair through the chemo. She wanted to see Megan’s head. Most often keeping her head covered with a hat or a scarf, Megan thought nothing of lifting off the headscarf to show the girl her new growth of hair. Sharing the difficulty of losing her hair made a bridge for Megan to share in this girl’s suffering, making her feel understood, loved, and special.

Being gifted by God with a greater love and compassion because of her suffering, Meg refreshes and encourages the hearts of those around her. Though she has struggled through life and continues to figure it out, Megan follows Jesus and grows in His love and care through the struggles she has faces. Love flows to others from her tender, compassionate heart. While she does not have it all figured out, she offers joy, shows God’s love, and encourages others. She refreshes the hearts of those in their struggles and points them to Jesus.

Don’t we all have times like this? Sometimes we experience a rough season and sometimes our life is just plain rough. How are we allowing God to use those times? We may not have it all figured out, and we do not need to. We can share what we have learned about God, how we have grown and changed. We can allow our hard to make a difference in the life of people as they experience their difficulties. We can refresh the hearts around us, so they seek Jesus. The difficulties we face may be the opening we need to show the love of Jesus.

Maybe you are watching someone go through sickness, job loss, depression, or grief. Keep them before the Lord in prayer. Pray even in their difficulties they can see Jesus and bridge the gap with another. Pray their suffering will open up doors of opportunity to encourage, show compassion, and love.

Maybe you are the one experiencing the difficult season. Remember God is with you on your journey. You may not understand the whys, but you can know He will use what you face and learn if you let Him. What you are facing gives you a different heart of compassion and love, a better understanding of what others may be facing. As you are given opportunities to share, God will use you to refresh the hearts of those around you with the love of Jesus. Like Megan, show the love of Jesus.