Strong Enough

From Tonia…

By the grace of God, I am the mother of three awesome children. It has always been them and me against the world.

I had my first daughter, Haleigh, when I was just a kid myself, at the age of 19. We grew up together. When she turned 19, she had a bad car accident after sliding on black ice, and she shattered her right leg. She was in the hospital on and off for months. Her health insurance was canceled because she couldn’t maintain her full-time college status. She ended up having 11 surgeries as a result of this one freak car accident a mile from our house.

As a single parent and her mother, I never wanted to leave her side in the hospital. But while she slept, I would go home long enough to sleep a bit and take a quick shower. I remember feeling so incredibly alone. My family was a great support. They were there as much as could be, but at night, when the lights were out, I would lie in my bed and just cry from the loneliness. I was exhausted both emotionally and physically.

The accident was three years ago, and she is still recovering. She still has a long road of surgeries and physical therapy ahead of her. Once, when I was with her in the hospital, I said to her, “Haleigh, the Lord doesn’t put anything on us that He doesn’t think we are strong enough to handle.”

She replied, “Well, He must think I’m pretty strong!”

If not for my faith, I would have gone out of my mind. Through it all, I have never felt as if God left my side. He guided me to do what was necessary to protect my daughter. I thank God for my kids every single day.

 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:29).

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

 

Matthew Responds…

I don’t even need to ask if you have ever faced an impossible circumstance. We all will at some point in our lives. Perhaps you are facing one right now. Today, you may be staring down a struggle that seems much bigger than you are, wondering how in the world you are going to make it through. As I read this single mother’s heartbreaking story about her and her daughter’s hardships, I pictured both Tonia and Haleigh standing at the foot of a mile-high mountain, one that was way too tall for them to climb on their own strength.

Theirs is a trial of traumatic proportions. Tonia was trying to be strong for her daughter, trying to encourage her not to lose hope, when she reminded her, “The Lord doesn’t put anything on you that He doesn’t think you are strong enough to handle.” Meanwhile, Haleigh, a frustrated teenager whose dreams of a college degree seemed to be slipping beyond her reach, was struggling to see any hope in her mom’s encouragement. I was struck by Haleigh’s angst-ridden response. It was so real, so human, and so relatable. “Well, He must think I’m pretty freakin’ strong!”

Can you relate to Haleigh’s emotional response, her lack of faith? I know I can. In my own way, in the middle of my own trials, I have doubted my own strength and questioned God’s plan. I have had my share of moments when, standing on the edge of the unknown, I was certain of one thing—God had the wrong guy for the job. Mother Teresa once said something like this: “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”

My mom loves to tell the story of a time when I struggled to see how I could possibly be strong enough for a particular task at hand. She tells me that when I was in preschool, the teacher informed my parents that I needed to be able to tie my shoes by a certain date. I was frustrated as my mom tried to practice with me. I would prop my foot up on a chair, take one shoestring end in each hand, and try and try to no avail. I tied one tangled knot after another.

Mom says I grew more and more frustrated, afraid I might never learn how to tie my shoes. My dad tried to encourage me by telling me to repeat Matthew 19:26 after him: “With God all things are possible.”

In response, a discouraged and skeptical five year-old version of me repeated, “With God all things should be possible!”

Aren’t you glad that Scripture from Matthew doesn’t read the way this Matthew thought it did? I know I am. I love the certainty in this Scripture. All things, not some things. Are possible, not should bepossible. And how can this Scripture hold such confidence, such certainty? One need look no further than the first two words: “With God.” The confidence in this Scripture comes from its source of certainty—an unfailing, unchanging God.

Regardless of how many tangled knots you are holding in your hands right now, you too can know that God is the only true source of certainty in this life. God promises that He can make a way and help you climb what you once saw as your unscalable mountain.

The Bible is filled with powerful pointers to our true source of strength (which is a good thing, because I need daily reminders). Another Scripture that has brought me confidence in the face of trials is one that I hope will encourage you wherever you find yourself today: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Again, notice that the confidence in this verse comes from our only true source of certainty in this life, Christ.

I find it interesting that Paul wrote those words while he was in prison. See, Paul was not foolish enough to believe that he alone was capable of doing the impossible. But drawing from his true source of certainty and placing his confidence in Christ, he spoke these words with the conviction of one who had seen a great God do impossible things in his life.

When your own strength finally fails, and it will, you can be confident in the strength of an unfailing God. Let the weight of your impossible circumstance be lifted off your shoulders. Truth is, you just aren’t strong enough to carry your story on your own. But here’s the best part—you don’t have to be.