“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
A huge windy storm blew through town this week. The house shook, rain was crashing down, and power flickered. When things settled the boys and I decided to check on the nest we had been watching, you know—the one with the blue Robbin eggs I shared a couple weeks ago? Well the eggs had hatched and two small birds were in that nest, yet when we found the nest, empty, and upside down on the ground….we weren’t sure what to think or do. As I glanced over, there were the two helpless birds lying on the ground, pink, eyes closed, but miraculously breathing. Not sure the best way to handle finding this, I wondered “Do I let nature take its course or step in?” I couldn’t un-see what I had seen so I made the decision to place them back into the nest, and cover it indoors for the evening while the other storms passed hoping they could return outside to mama as soon as it was safe again.
Not far from that fallen nest I spied one of three trees fallen. It was the healthiest of the three from an outside view and as the two weaker, less filled out trees stood remaining, I started to consider the message I had been experiencing all week, weakness.
Raising two sons has brought many new scenarios into my life never experienced before. One is the constant daily struggle of comparison to one another and of resistance to showing weakness. Maybe these aren’t boy traits; maybe they are just sibling traits. Maybe I am the only one experiencing them, but regardless it has become a part of my life. I look and see two amazing human beings, but sometimes all they can see is their weakness and regardless of what I see battling those doubts, insecurities, and fears that mount reveals in me my own weakness. I simply cannot “fix” things. I have to listen, talk through, sometimes discipline, and beg God to help me handle things the best I can. The hardest part is when I realize that this isn’t a problem going away anytime soon and God’s way of “handling” it may be just to let “nature take its course,” and I have to stand by and watch while He finds other ways and people to bring lessons I cannot effectively teach.
Weakness, sigh, who wants to talk about their weaknesses let alone admit they have them to other people. It’s easier to keep them hidden and just shine to the world the things we are good at. To respond with “its fine, I’ll be ok.” When deep down we aren’t fine, maybe we are even terrified that if we show that very thing we aren’t good at, our weakness, we may be left behind on the ground, out of the nest, left to survive alone.
The weaknesses may range from the smaller ones to bigger ones. One person may wake up wishing they were taller to reach the cabinets at the top of their kitchen; however, another person may wake up in a wheelchair where that “weakness” extends all day long into many other areas. One woman may long to have a baby, while another has several children that make her question how she will survive the day.
See one person’s weaknesses are another person’s strengths. Sometimes what seems like strength to one may even be a weakness to another. And, I guess that was God’s design….to need Him and to need others.
“God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.” 2 Corinthians 12: 18-20
He goes on to say:
“…The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy.” 2 Corinthians 12: 22-26
“You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.” 2 Corinthians 12:27
So, how can God be made perfect in our weakness? Well He hasn’t revealed it all to me, but I have witnessed this truth in many ways:
It is when we reveal our weakness that He can step in and effectively send help. It is like we are waving our white flag of surrender saying, “I need help!” In this admission of “weakness” we are really able to show our strength in Christ alone as in our humility He can send us what we need because we are no longer hiding it. And in that place of vulnerability we can experience the tenderness of God as He brings alongside us help in miraculous ways. Like two strong hands to lift up your baby birds to the nest when all you have is wings.
Today, remember that you are an important part of the body of Christ. The more weak you feel, the more important you are. Shine out your weaknesses because in those weaknesses God is made more powerful!
P.S. Today’s image is one that reminds me of weakness next to strength in many ways. It shows Superman, known for his strength. He stands behind us, a group of individuals who stand strong. Yet like Superman’s weakness of kryptonite, each of us standing there holds weakness. Weakness that God brought together to form one body, one family, and be made stronger. Our weaknesses are all different yet they uniquely make us have roles to function on a team as one just as God designed us to. I love and appreciate each of the members of this family and am grateful I can reveal my weaknesses yet they remain by my side. In my weakness, God sent me a Rylie, Sam, and Joshua to make me strong in so many ways.
Father, Today I Surrender:
My Weakness
Show me the next step I should take.