Weakness

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.




There is nothing that makes you feel more weak than trying to "do it all". Week #2 has been completed of my return to being a full-time working mom times two. This is not to mention the wife/daughter/friend, etc. parts of my personality. Overall the transition has been a smooth one. We have successfully exited the house by 6:30 nearly every morning (in large part to my hubby's assistance - what a man) and the work load has felt mostly manageable (of course, now much of my spring break will surely be spent catching up on grading). But I have had to continually admit my weaknesses in these past weeks which is no easy task for a perfectionist. There is no way to do it all and do it all well. God didn't design us this way. But it's difficult for me to feel out of control of areas of my life. Which is why the 2 Corinthians verse is a refreshing way for me to view life. To take JOY in my personal weaknesses as well as the hardships that God allows because it's not about me anyway. It's about bringing the Lord His due glory, whether in smooth times or rough. Easier said than done. But I understand where Paul is coming from in these verses. It seems all too easy to give God a pat on the back for blessing us and move along our merry way when life is all rosy and smooth sailing. It is during the hardships and weak moments that we truly understand His grace and admit that we cannot do it alone. And the true joy comes from knowing that we are not alone in this walk through life. I feel like this is all very easy to say in the context of my life now, when personal hardships are minimal. But I hope, when the rubber meets the road, I will see that God has been shaping me to be "content in any and every situation" (Phil. 4:12) - doing everything through Him who gives me strength.


My favorite devotional is "Streams in the Desert". This excerpt from one of the daily meditations has stuck with me as I often feel that as Christians we feel it is up to us to DO, DO,DO:


" Straining and striving does not accomplish the work God gives us to do. Only God Himself, who works without stress and strain and who never overworks , can do the work He assigns to His children. When we restfully trust Him to do it, the work will be completed and done well. And the way to let Him do His work through us is to fully abide in Christ by faith that He fills us to overflowing. There is no straining effort in an overflowing life , and it is quietly irresistable."


I desire the quietly irresistable life that is filled to overflowing. A life that is filled with imperfections so that my gaze might be turned more fully to Christ and His power. And it begins day by day by embracing the hardships and weaknesses that God has allowed for His purposes.