Wednesday, August 19, 2009

faith and power...

talk to any christian who has been through a valley, a deep life trauma, and you will hear much the same thing: "i don't know how i did it, but somehow i made it through."

the resilience of the human spirit is amazing indeed...the recuperative response within each of us is so incredible that at times we surprise even ourselves...

there is no question that life is difficult and uncertain...in the blink of an eye, life can come crashing down around us like a rain of brimstone...whether these crises come at a bedside, a graveside, a roadside, or in a marriage, a relationship, an office, or a church setting...the results can leave us devastated...weak-kneed and shattered...

these are the moments faith is made of...the bible supports this...and i have seen it time after time in my own life and in others'...the more we need faith...the more faith we are given...the more we completely trust God...the deeper that trust grows...

faith and power are gifts that go hand in hand...and they come from the source of all power, the Holy Spirit...call it what you will...stamina, courage, tenacity, hanging on, resilience...it is that touch of divine miracle when we feel like we can't take another step...but then we do...we were somehow strengthened beyond our understanding to stand a little longer...to take one more move forward...or to go a little beyond the totally helpless feeling of being out of control...

what i know for sure is that God's gifts of faith and power are always adequate...no matter how desperate our situation has become...exhaustion, frustration, and tragedy may have us burdened down so that we despair of ever being free again...the pain may be unrelenting, the loss overwhelming, the loneliness damning...but God's power is great enough for our deepest desperation...

so as i come out of a very unexpected loss...what i know is that i can go on, i can pick up the pieces and start anew...i can face my fears...i can find peace in the rubble...i can have courage...and most of all...there is healing for my soul...

as i have taken one step...i am given the faith and the power to add another step...and another...
and in the process...growing along the way...

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