Sufficient Grace

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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Pregnancy makes me feel like a wimp. With only seven weeks to go, my body can no longer do the things it used to be able to do. I can just barely get my feet close enough to my hands to tie my shoes. If I squat to dig something out of the fridge or the back of a cabinet, I have a hard time standing back up. Walking around the mall wears me out and makes my hips and back hurt for a couple days. I'm not sleeping well because I can't get comfortable because no matter what position I lay in, I can't breathe very well. (Of course, the breathing thing isn't helped by the fact that I have a cold right now.) And then there's all the uncontrollable crying...

But I don't think this is the kind of boasting in weaknesses that Paul was talking about (it is, after all, more of a rant than a boasting), but this verse does resonate with me right now. In the verses preceding 2 Corinthians 12:9, he mentions a thorn in the flesh, and in the previous chapter he talks about being beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, in danger, sleepless, hungry, thirsty, and cold. (Hmm..sleepless and hungry? I can definitely relate to that! And when the baby moves just right, I feel like I'm being beaten from the inside....)

All of Paul's trials and weaknesses happened so that the power of Christ would be seen in him, and so that God's grace would be sufficient--would be enough. God's grace was all Paul needed. "My grace is sufficient for you," God said in response to Paul's prayer that the thorn in his flesh would be removed.

And His grace is sufficient for me, even as my body gets more unwieldy and less comfortable, and as my fears about mothering grow (more sleepless nights along with sleepless days?!). I find myself leaning more on these words, and reminding myself of them. "My grace is sufficient for you."

What trials are you going through? What makes you feel weak right now? God's grace is sufficient for you, too. Even when everything in life seems like too much to deal with, God's grace is unchanging and is always with you.

Father, some days are harder than others. Some days I feel so weak and inadequate. It is on those days, during those times, that I rest in your grace. Carry me through and be my strength. Let your grace be enough for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Juggling

2 Corinthians 12:9
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. 

Wife, mom, sister, daughter, middle school administrator…all of these are roles that I have been given by God and at times these roles seem to fight for my attention, my time and my energy. Each role is important and each has been a gift given to me by God. Overall, my report card as a wife is good, as a mom I am raising my kids to be Godly young men, and I am a decent sister. I could be better about calling though. I am sure my parents would say that while I did give them some sleepless nights and made some pretty dumb decisions growing up overall I was a pretty good daughter. Depending on the day, and the kids, I wonder about how effective I am at middle school administration but know that without doubt, this is right where God wants me to be. All that said, it is easy to be overwhelmed. 

Take today for instance…I just came home from work. Nine hours of training with a working lunch. I am tired. No, I am exhausted. I have two more hours of work to do before I head back to work tomorrow but my heart is yearning to head out into the back yard and enjoy some time with my boys in the pool. It is summer after all. It’s the time of year when things are supposed to slow down. My mind yearns for sitting on the front porch swing, eating a popsicle barefoot and carefree. Oh, to be a kid again.. 


But reality sets in. It is hard to not feel overwhelmed at times with our own “busy-ness”. Our list of “To Do’s” seems longer and longer even as we frantically try to cross off tasks. It’s hard to not cry out to God, “Why me God? Why is it you have chosen me to be in charge? I’m the one that doesn’t handle change well Lord, I’m the one that needs a solid eight hours of sleep to function Lord, I’m the one that gets bogged down in the details and forgets to see the big picture Lord. Why.” 


On days like this the Lord floods my mind with His words from 2 Corinthians 12:9. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I hear these words as they pass through my mind and I imagine the Lord sitting right beside me, his arm wrapped around me and him looking into my eyes. “Relax, I am God, and I am really in control. I am powerful enough to see that you make it through these tough times. Relax and let me carry you.” I take a deep breath, wipe my teary eyes and repeat the words that Paul shared so elegantly with the Romans. “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” I look up into the eyes of my Savior as he sits beside me. “Ok God, I will give it all to you. I give you my frustrations, my fears, my being overwhelmed and my anxiety. Use me as you see fit Lord and may you be glorified and your name be known through me.” One final deep breath of peace passes through my chest, my heavy heart feels lighter, and my weary mind more focused. 

It is tough juggling our many roles but the peace that comes from knowing that God is there carrying us through these trying times is by far the greatest gift of all. I pray that the Lord will provide you with peace and comfort. Embrace your weaknesses as opportunities for God’s power to shine through you!


Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all the roles you give us and the people we get to be with in those roles.  Please help us to have balance as we juggle our roles and peace as we serve you.
Amen

His Power

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Sometime ago I was told that if I wanted to give my kids what they need the most, I would give my marriage the attention it needs. That while the right discipline, structure, and meals are valuable; the strength of my marriage is key.

Sometimes I forget this bit of information. Frequently I am too busy with the kids, the house, the bills, the laundry, and the meals – to pay much attention to my partner. We both have busy lives – between his job and mine there just isn’t a lot of time. And we don’t have a lot of money, either. So paying a babysitter every week and going “out,” isn’t really an option.

Last weekend I attended a conference where the speaker (on marriage) asked us, “Does the heart of your husband safely trust you?” “Do you do him good? or evil?”

Powerful questions cut thru to my soul. If my husband’s heart can trust me, that means I am not judging him when he shares a mistake he made. It means I’m not nagging him (without even thinking about it) when I see that chore I want him to do. It means I’m not criticizing with harsh words.

If I want “to do him good,” I’m building him up. I’m respecting him and his judgment and sharing words of compassion when he shares a misstep. I’m his partner and I encourage him and ask him how I can help. I’m strengthening him with my words and paying attention to my tone.

Marriage is really hard. So is being a mom. I’m not getting much sleep and I have a lot on my plate. After my conference last weekend I was reeling. How am I going to process all this? What do I do first? I have so much to think about and I need to go home to my husband and be the wife he needs me to be… How, Lord? Then it hit me. I wasn’t going to make a detailed outline of what to do. I wasn’t going to list out all the things I’d learned or that had been suggested. I was way too tired.

So I prayed. Lord, I forgot, again, that this isn’t about me and my abilities. It’s about you and what you can do… in my marriage, in my family, in my heart. Lord, whatever needs to change – change it. Whatever needs to be forgiven – forgive it. Whatever log I need to pull from my eye – pull it. Make it happen inside me, Lord. And give me the words - that my husband needs to hear from me. Give me the energy - to make him a priority. Wrap our marriage up in your protective arms and strengthen it. For the sake of our children. And for the sake of your Son. That we can be an example of your power being made perfect in weakness. Amen.