Power in Weakness

"But he said to me, '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."  2 Corinthians 12:9

"What I do know, is that when I didn't have the strength or desire to pray for myself, there were others who were praying.  And that the Good Lord heard them all and made my journey with cancer one I could handle.  He heard all those other prayers and blessed me - each and every day.  I felt His love when I couldn't feel others.  And when I cried out to Him in pain, he was listening.  As I sit here, among all of  His wonder and beauty, I know He will continue to walk with me."

Twenty years ago my journey with cancer began.  Above is an excerpt from the journal I kept.  This was actually written at the end of all my treatments, as I sat on a beautiful rock amid the Jackson Falls (the picture above).  Twenty years seems like a long time, but I remember every single detail of the day I was diagnosed.  Every year, I make it a point to read through that journal and remember the journey.  Some days were good, many were not.  Throughout all of it, as I reflect, I got a better understanding of the person, the Christian, I wanted to be.

So often, we see power as being best served when we are independent, strong, and courageous.  That can be true.  Those traits can provide us power over our lives to make decisions that are based for goodness.  Yet, so many times, we don't see the incredible power in weakness.  For it is in the weakness of our state that God is the strongest.  That strength, which can come only from God, enriches our lives, whatever we may be going through at that time.  It is that power I know I relied on so heavily during my cancer journey - it is the same power I rely on today.

Cancer can be a "biggie" on a life journey.  There are many other areas of life where, in weakness, we can find the power of our Lord.  Marital issues, physical strife, spiritual doubts, addiction pain, . . . the list can go on and on.  In my younger years, when these moments of weakness would come upon me, my first reaction was always, "I need to be strong" and I would rely on my own strength for that.  What I have realized is that I don't have enough of that strength on my own.  I can't muster up on my own the strength and power I need sometimes.

That level of strength and power can only come from God.  As He sees me on these journeys, He quickly comes to my side to hold me up.  Through His power alone, I can be strong.  Through His power alone, I can survive.  Through His power alone, I have peace.  God's power in my weakness equals hope.  Hope that the future will hold all that I need on Earth - and in Heaven.  We all have our times of weakness.  During those times, go to our God - the only one whose power can bring you the strength that we need to move on!  It just means we need to have Simple Faith.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for being the power and strength amid my weakness.  Help me to always turn to you first, not last, when I need help to go on.  Give me the faith to know you will always provide.  In your healing name I pray, Amen!