Strength in Weakness
Sitting in my living room, it’s insane to think that only a week ago, I was in shorts and sandals, wandering the streets of Bangkok. Now, I sit with a blanket and a hot water bottle, with the ground outside covered in layers of fresh snow! I had to trade in my sandals, shorts, and ice coffee for long johns, sweaters, and a hot cup of joe!
One of the side effects of the cold weather is how lethargic it makes me, and so, due to this, I have spent a good amount of time alone in my apartment, unwilling to step foot outside in the frigid cold, longing for the warmth of the Thailand beaches. But the Father has taken advantage of this time to rejuvenate me through time spent with Him. It’s made me further understand the verse “for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10b).
When I got back from my month of traveling, I was exhausted and ready for a time of rest before classes started again. I was not only physically drained, but my emotions were raw from the intense highs and lows from what I saw and experienced in the countries we visited. Through this time, the Father allowed me to reflect on a lot of stuff, particularly His goodness and His love for us. That sounds cliché, but the truth is, chewing on the fact that even though I have spent the majority of my life in rebellion, that I still find forgiveness at the foot of the Cross, still leaves me standing amazed. I realize how weak and helpless I really am, and how strong and mighty He is, and that He imparts that strength to me as His child. Therefore, when I honestly see how weak I am, I truly am strong.
It truly is heartbreaking when I hear people speak of time spent with the Father as a burden or a duty. To those who are under this impression, I want to ask a question: is breathing a duty, or a necessity? Is it a burden to breathe? Weird question, isn’t it? It’s just as weird to ask a person who truly understands what it means to be redeemed and feel the overflowing of the Father’s love if spending time with Him is a duty.
The new semester is starting on Monday, and we are all preparing to go back to classes, and more importantly back to our students. I am looking forward to it, but I have the pre-class jitters! I want to get back into the swing of things smoothly, and would ask for thoughts to the Father for that, for my whole team. It’s my hope that we also wouldn’t sacrifice our quality time with Dad to make ourselves better teachers. I mean, if I shut off the power, how can I expect the light to turn on? J
