"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"

2 Corinthians 12:9

This verse has encouraged me so many times, and once again I find myself comforted by it. Do you ever get that feeling that no matter how hard you try (and sometimes the harder you do try the worse things get) you end up flat on your face in failure? I get that feeling a lot, especially lately due to a big move which has left me very stressed out on many a day. Times like these are when I've got to remember this verse, and a few others which I will list down below. This verse shows that we don't have to be hopeless even during our lowest times. There is something to be gained even when we don't feel that way. (We will get into "feelings" next time!) I KNOW for a fact that when I am down and out and there's nothing within my power I can do to better my situation, my Lord sees what I am going through and uses that brokeness to be glorified. Whether it's in opening a door that could otherwise not be opened unless I step down and get out of the way or teaching me patience- (i.e I do NOT need to throw a fit because I didn't get that thing I wanted when I wanted it) God has really been dealing with me when it comes to that. There's been several times I've struggled so hard to keep control of a certain situation, but I messed things up so bad I ended up drowning in the ocean of regret. Often times I've ended up letting go and repenting, telling the Lord I give the situation over to him- He has never failed me, a door always opens just in time (though it might not necessarily be the one I was trying to open). In hindsight it looks much like a small child struggling till they're blue in the face to lift up this "heavy" load, while her daddy is standing right there smiling gently waiting for his little girl to say "Daddy will you help me?"- Sooner or later she gets frustrated and starts whining and tearing up  finally remembers that her daddy has muscles and can lift this load with one hand easy. She didn't have to go through all that- but she wanted to do it herself. Her daddy didn't push himself in there at the first sign of struggle, but he let her learn and ask. This is so much like our Heavenly Daddy. He's such a gentleman. Our pride sometimes keeps us from asking him for help, when we know only he can handle this load in front of us. Our flesh wants to be glorified by handling this load, but then we would boast because we did it. But when we crucify our flesh and the Lord's strength be made perfect in our weakness, we can only speak of his amazing unending love, strength and grace!
Be Blessed

Ruth