Accepting Weakness

"Do you not know?

     Have you not heard?

He Lord is the everlasting God,

     the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

     and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

     and increases the power of the weak. 

Even youths grow tired and weary, 

     and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will sore on wings like eagles,

     they will run and not grow weary,

     they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31

I am weak.  

Yes, I will admit it!  There was a time in my life where I might not have so easily admitted this.  I might have said it, but not really meant it, but not anymore!  I understand this clearly now...

We are finished.  After 8 years of waiting, preparing, saving, working, and studying we are done!  Yet, we have only just begun.

As we have struggled and worked these last 8 years God has been stripping aways bits of ourselves.  He has been working in our lives, challenging us, growing us, and ultimately humbling us.  

As we have walked this road God has been revealing to us that we are weak.  The only reason we are where we are at today is because God has provided us with amazing strength in our times of weakness!  

Our Graduating Class

I have been growing in my understanding of what it means to rest in Christ.  To truly give Him my burdens and lean on Him.  I have recently come the realization the effects of stress on my body and also how stressed out I usually am.  Once again, I've received a glimpse as to how weak I am.   As Isaiah wrote "He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak..." I find such hope in the midst of my weakness!   

As Mitch and I graduate and as we transition, yet again, into a new big chapter in our lives I am reminded of the LORDS strength.

 I am reminded that He is the One who works through the lives of those who trust Him.  If there is one thing we have learned during our time in training, its that we cannot do this task!

How encouraging, right?  

I mean, the one thing we were here to learn how to do, we found out we cannot do!  

Well, we cannot do it on our own.  

Isaiah 40:28 starts off with a little, but very important word: BUT.  

"Even youths grow tired and weary, 

     and young men stumble and fall;

but..."

But what?!  

"BUT those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will sore on wings like eagles,

     they will run and not grow weary,

     they will walk and not be faint."

The task of moving to a completely different place in this world that does everything differently that we do, in hopes to teach ourselves their language and then teach them how to read and write, translate the Bible and teach it to them is impossible!  We cannot do it in our own strength or ability.  BUT...

The LORD will renew our strength.

             

Im not sure if this makes sense or not, but I am thankful for God's Word and the encouragement and hope that this passage brings me.  

As we graduate we understand the hugeness of what we are desiring to do.  We understand that it is God who will lead us, guide us, and equip us with what it is going to take.  We understand that we cannot do it, that we are weak...

BUT...