Weak doesn’t begin to describe the man before me, dwarfed and diminished somehow by hospital machinery, pale and wan, forced to lie flat-tilted on his back under white cotton covering.
My mighty oak of a man who had always been strong, until illness sapped him, is now made weak as sapling, drained of strength and vitality, felled by axes of adversity.
And as I gaze at him I realise it is I who needs to be strong enough now for the two of us. I have to believe my faith isn’t weak and wavering, nor my trust in God’s healing power any the less for seeing my husband in physical and emotional depletion like this.
Though my heart quakes and tears gather as I take his hand, I know he is seeking to be infused with strength and hope in the holding on. I’ve become a life-raft, an anchor in these uncertain seas.
I need a tender, compassionate heart and nerves of steel to help steer us through the post-op days ahead. My man needs me to focus less on weakness and to embrace the resilience of God’s sustaining grace.
Because the truth is when I am weak I am strong: strong in dependence and faith, strong in hope and encouragement, strong in Christ alone.
I take a deep breath, fix a smile on my face, keep the conversation flowing easy like water between us, allow anxieties to ebb a little. And I square myself on the inside with a pep talk to my soul, muttering a soft ‘you can do this’ message of faith.
You can hold onto God like you’re a drowning woman. You can hold on to the Hope only He can give you. You can hold on to His grace being sufficient enough for this day and all to come. You may feel weak but you have the courage of the Lion of Judah roaring on the inside, bolstering your faith.
Do you need strength and courage for the days ahead? Me too, my friend. Here’s what’s helping me: Trusting God to supply my every need as I daily rest myself in Him, letting go of anxiety and breathing in His peace and calm, praying, praying and praying again and accepting help from family and friends.
There is strength to be had in numbers, in friendship and fellowship with others, and you’ll find lots of that in the fabulous five-minute-friday community where I am linking my more-than-5-minute words today on the prompt ‘weak’. Just click here to join us there.
Oh, Joy, I’m saying a prayer for you and your husband during this difficult time. So thankful that you can turn to God for strength. I pray that He will give you grace and enable you to perform all the duties you need to do. May you feel His power through you.
Blessings to you with hugs and much love! xoxo
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Gayl, we am truly thankful for your kind thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Much grace is needed to cope, survive and thrive in our current circumstances. Grateful hugs, blessings and much love to you, dear friend! xoxo
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Dear Joy, Oh, my friend I am praying so much for you and your husband! May Jesus indeed carry you and bring you strength that comes from Him. What beautiful comfort you bring to us, even as you are walking through deep trials yourself. May the Lord let you feel the encouragement of those who are praying for you through these days. Much Love and Hugs for you! xoxo
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Dear Bettie, we are definitely feeling the benefit of those prayers! Thank you, sweet friend. The last few days have been fraught with challenges but also full of God’s tender loving care and grace. Supernatural strength is a wonderful thing! We both sense the way prayer is lifting us during these testing times, bringing the hope, help and comfort only God can give. Sending appreciative hugs and much love to you across the pond! xoxo
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Joy, praying for you both! Gods got this! I’m in the 43 spot this week.
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Thank you so much, Tara! Bless you for your kindness and concern in praying for us. yes, “God’s got this!” So true, my friend. I hope to stop by your blog before the end of the week but I am failing to keep up with my usual reading at the moment. xo
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This was so powerful and so full of truth, my friend! Praying for your hubby and for you, Joy! When we are weak, His strength comes into its own!
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Oh yes to these words: “When we are weak, His strength comes into its own!” Thank you, Karrilee for this faith stirring reminder. I love how you are encouraging me with Truth, my friend! Bless you for praying, caring and leaving a lovely comment here. I appreciate all of those things. xo
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I’m sorry friend. I had so hoped that he was getting better. Praying for that still. So thankful you have faith during this difficult time. God will indeed give you the strength you need. And He will be there when you yourself need comfort and peace. Blessings.
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June, sorry to say “better” hasn’t been in our vocabulary over the last eight months, apart from being a measure of how bad the pain might be on any given day. A brief move forward in progress in my husband’s health and recovery was followed by several serious setbacks, all necessitating the operation he has just had. My faith has remained the one stable anchor in life’s stormy, shifting seas. We can always trust God, especially when we cannot see any way forward ourselves. I’m hanging on to this hope: “God will indeed give you the strength you need. And He will be there when you yourself need comfort and peace.” Amen, my friend! Bless you for being here. We are so thankful for your prayers! xox
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So sorry about the illness your family is experiencing. God will strengthen you in your weakness if you hold fast to Him. – Lori
visiting from FMF #79
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Hello Lori, how kind of you to stop by and leave an encouraging comment! Bless you for visiting, fellow #FMF writer. 🙂 x
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Beautiful post, my dear sister in the Lord… I’m keeping you and your dear husband in prayer. You’re both in the hands of our faithful, true and living God. “…I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:4). Keep trusting Him and resting in Him…
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Lois, thank you for seeing beauty hidden within the pain, rather like a rose nestling between thorns. It’s a comfort to know we are in the hands of “our faithful, true and living God”, and that our part is to “Keep trusting Him and resting in Him.” Amen! I love the verse you have shared from Isaiah (which also happens to be one of my favourite books in the Bible), because there is such hope and promise wrapped up within the words. We’re so grateful for your prayers. It’s a wonderful, humbling thing to be so dependent on the strength of God and the faithful prayers of the Body of Christ, but oh how it sharpens our sense of being loved, protected and cared for! Bless you, dear friend, your presence here and lovely comment mean a lot to me. xo
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I’m so sorry, Joy. I was so hoping he would be improving by now. You said hospital machines. Is he in the hospital or with home care? Either way, it must be so extremely difficult for you both. Praying God’s sufficient grace will carry you through each moment. Keep letting that courage of the Lion of Judah roar inside of you, bolstering your faith in your weakness. Thank you for sharing this, my friend. All these difficulties sadden me, but your hanging onto the hope in Jesus and inspiring us to do so also encourage me. Love and hugs! ❤️ 🌈 🌹
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Trudy, we are so grateful for your prayers. He is in hospital, having had a second spinal operation last Friday. Sadly, his recovery is very slow and hampered by bad reactions to the anaesthetic and morphine. He is pretty weak, unable to try sitting up at all as yet, very fragile emotionally, often confused and quite distressed at times. I’m only able to visit once every other day, though friends and family are there when I can’t make it. I so need the Lion courage only God can give us! It’s extremely wearying mentally and physically for both of us to have to go through all of this again after eight months of struggle and pain. Yet we can also see glimmers of grace and rays of hope in the midst of it all. Meanwhile, I am leaning heavily on “God’s sufficient grace” to carry me through each moment. Love and hugs to you, dear caring friend!
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I’m so sorry your husband had to go through another spinal surgery, Joy. 😦 Praying for a successful one this time and healing and for God to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus! Big hugs!
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Bless you, sweet friend, those are thoughts and prayers close to my heart. Big hugs back at you! xo ❤
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Your words are always beautifully powerful. I just prayed for you and your husband and for strength as you care for him.
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Amy, how kind of you to leave an encouraging message! Your prayers are truly welcome and needful. Thank you so much, sweet friend. ❤
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