Sunday, November 6, 2011

Weakness to Strength

These past few weeks have been harder than I had imagined they would be. Along with a painful recovery process, I have been struggling with many emotions, as well, like frustration, sadness, and loneliness. And so many “why questions” have been going through my mind. Why did part of my reconstruction not work? Why has my recovery been so hard? Why do I continue to have more and more painful health issues? And why do I feel so lonely?

After being reminded of the same Scripture passage by a couple different people, I realized God may be trying to show me something. Hard headed as I am, it took me a few times to read it and actually apply it to myself. The passage is Isaiah 40:28-31. 

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

This passage describes exactly how I have been feeling: faint, weary, and exhausted – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But God is never faint or weary in any way. He is infinite in strength and stands ready to give that strength to those who wait for Him. And so through the strength God supplies, I can mount up with wings like eagles; I can run and not be weary; I can walk and not faint.

Will this happen if I continue to focus on and worry about my weariness? No. Jesus commands me not to worry, and I must look to the strength God supplies. I need to let go of my worries and trust that God will, once again, take my hand and lead me through this season of life. Only He has the power to soften a hard heart and strengthen a weak heart. And so it is my prayer that He will continue to both soften and strengthen my heart so that I will trust that His plan for me is good.

I would appreciate continued prayer for my healing. Most likely, I will not be able to have any reconstruction done in the next few years and I am realizing that my chest might not ever be "normal" again. Those things are hard to deal with, but I know that I am beautiful in God’s sight.

I also want to thank those of you who have been helping Matt and me with the kids. You have been a great blessing to us and we certainly could not go through this recovery process without you!

Hudson, Lydia, and Samuel at our church's Fall Festival with Matt's mom.

Movie night with the kids.