His Strength, Not Mine

Talk about going through something hard. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was to take care of my wonderful father in the last few months of his life.

And then bury him.

I felt so weak in those days because I loved him so much.  Even though I knew I would one day see him again.

Still, it was a tough time for me.

Of course, I hadn't gone through it alone. I had several family and church members that helped me be there at the times he was not supposed to be alone, and I couldn't be with him.

And after his funeral, they helped me clean out his home and get it ready to sell.

Yes, it had been a hard time. And I felt so weak at all that was involved.

Until one day, after it was all over with, and I was still grieving. Still crying at night when no one was listening. (except of course, God) Still asking for his to help me through this.

That day, I had shared with my cousin about how weak I felt and this is what she told me. "Beck, your dad told me one day that he knew you were the strongest one in the family. "

What? "He said, you have been through so much. And he knew God would continue to take care of you." she told me.

After all, I wasn't the only one in the family that had been through hard things. His life, my mom's life, their life together....and others in my extended family....

You have heard about someone speaking from the grave? It seemed as if dad-or maybe it was God, that had just spoken to me, that day.

I had been through some really tough times in my life, and my dad had thought I had been the strongest person because of it. Huh.

There had been a time, many years before that, that my sister had said about as much to me once. It was during the days when I had really been going through hard times and written a letter to her about feeling so weak. And probably complaining to her. In her letter back to me, she wrote out the following scripture:

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

It was what I needed at that time to get through what I was going through. And when my cousin had told me what dad had said to her all those years later and in another critical time in my life, I could actually thank God in my alone time with him, that yes, I could get through my dad's death and whatever else was ahead. Now I was stronger in my faith. Too much had passed to not be.

Because in my weakness God makes me strong. It is because I rely on his strength and not my own.

Well, it's been close to 17 years since dad has been gone. And yes, there have been times I have sure felt weak. But, I know when I do, I go to his Word and my strength is always renewed. And it doesn't hurt to remember what dad had said to my cousin that day. 

Of all the people that I would have loved to hear that from, it would have been him.

If you are feeling weak today, or if you feel that way tomorrow or next week, remember that you aren't alone. I am sure most of God's people feel that way at times. Go to his Word and find scriptures on his strength because that is where yours will come from when you seek his.

Thanks for coming today, Friends. Be blessed!