God Gives Inner Strength

The day began full of promise. The sun rose bright and filled the sky with light and warmth. I was able to spend extra time with God, reading and studying his Word. I checked off several tasks in my planner, wrote emails and texts, cleaned and straightened, paid the bills. I was sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch when it all fell apart.

The phone rang, and I heard crying from the other end. That phone call ended only because I had another call on the line; and that person was crying also. Two people I love were crying over the same situation. One in dismay and overwhelm, the other in sadness and confusion over how to help. By the time I clicked end on my phone, I was crying too. All three of us spent the afternoon crying and praying for each another.

I don’t cry often. Sometimes I think I’m too hard hearted, finding it hard to show emotions. But today, I cried from the depth of my heart, a soul-level cry. I’ve discovered that it’s when those I love are hurting, that I hurt the most. I can explain away my own fear, sadness, bitterness, disappointment, worries; but I can’t hide from the pain of my loved ones.

The only answer, the right one, is to run to God and fall into his arms. There are times when I can’t go on without his help, can’t do it with my own strength. And that’s when I KNOW He is real because I feel his strength in me, an inner strength not of my own. He doesn’t take the pain away. Instead He gives me the strength to support those I love in their pain.

What pain are you dealing with today? Are you asking God for his strength or trying to handle it alone?