The Set Apart Adventure: The weaker I get, the stronger I become

Following Jesus is a war.
It’s not some happy club.
This isn’t Chuck E. Cheese.
Are you willing to fight this fight?

This has been a month of immense heartache, disappointment, and rejection. At the same time it has been filled with extreme joy and a powerful peace. I know what you’re thinking…that is impossible. How can you put heartache and pure joy in the same sentence? It happens to be one of the many unexplainable feelings and situations that happen when your life is fully surrendered to Christ.

It has been a month of trials…one after the other. I barely have time to catch my breath before the next trial comes. I beg God to make them stop. Crying out to Him night after night after night saying, “Please Father, I don’t think I can do this anymore”. Yet, the trails keep coming. Then God led me to the Message version of 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

“…so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”

I love these verses. I am dependent, powerless, WEAK, and while that should scare me, that truth brings me to a beautiful place. A place where I CAN’T go one minute without crying out to my Father. A place where in my weakness God’s power is made perfect. The trials are a gift. I was right when I prayed: “I can’t do this anymore”. Because I can’t! I need God’s grace and power. I am weak. But Christ wants to take over! That is where the pure joy and peace comes from during heartache and disappointment. I know Christ is in control. Our trials are pure joy when God is our goal.

“Do not forget in the darkness what you have been promised in the light”

It happens way too easily. A rough month and I forget. It becomes easy to look around and think. “Why do I do this? Why do I put myself through this?” Then I smile and remember: I do it for Jesus.

I cannot begin to thank you all for your prayers this month. They have overwhelmed me with peace and joy that can only come from our Radiant Lord. I wish I could tell you the full story of the things that have been happening this month. How God has been working in my life even throughout the storms and trials. But, I feel it is best to wait. Instead I will show you some pictures of my “sunshines” from this month.