Strength From Within

                                          Strength From Within

         As a wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, niece, aunt, employee, and a person in debt I can relate to so many other people in this world. We all have personal struggles as individuals on top of our duties to our families, our job or career, our community, our church or other groups that we are a part of. Most of the time we have so much to do that we need the days to be long and the nights to be even longer. I need to get some rest is an understatement for most of us I am sure.

         So how do we deal with all of the daily demands and pressures? How do we deal with tragedy or debilitating illnesses? How do we feel like we are doing our best when there is so much more that needs to be done? How do we know or can even hope that things will turn out all right? How do we know that our best is good enough? I like to think about Proverbs chapter 31. According to Proverbs 31 a virtuous woman is invaluable, sufficient, accommodating, ingenious, industrious, proficient, has compassion, is not lazy, helpful, royal, helps with the family budget, is a good worker and loyal. Do you see any of your qualities in the list above? If you are a child of God, I know you do. Perhaps you lack confidence in yourself because your faith in God and yourself is withering under all of the demands that are on you.

         From my own personal experiences I know that things will get better. I know that God is faithful and true to those who believe in Him. I know that just when we think that we are on empty and can not go any further God will fill our tank. In a period of seven years I took back a husband who was unemployed, a drunkard and abusive. He would disappear for days at a time. I wouldn’t have a clue about where he was at. He stole my car and totaled it. I thought that he was leaving to do a side job and coming back home. He came home several days later, no car.  I went through hardships with a rebellious niece that I took in and took in and tried to help a brother-in-law who used drugs. My mother had two operations, found out that she was suffering from dementia and had skin cancer. My step father had a quadruple heart by-pass, found out that he was a diabetic and that he has a blood clot in his neck that can not be removed. My uncle, who was deathly ill and had a brain chemical imbalance, had no one where to go and no one to take care of him except us. He had three surgeries to keep him alive. He was a wretched man to be around much less live with. He was not a Christian and claimed that he did not believe in God. My grandmother started hallucinating very badly and became very abusive. When my husband found employment I quit one of the best jobs that I have ever had to stay home and take care of my family. Over a period of time my health got bad. I found out that I had mitro-valve prolapsed, arythmia, a rare sleep disorder, polyps and diverticulitis. We struggled financially. We all lived here on a one and three quarter acre of land.

         Every day was hard. At times I felt as though I wasn’t going to make it through the day physically, emotionally or mentally. The pressure and demands from everybody was so great. Sometimes I felt taken for granted. I wondered how I was going to make it and how I was going to help my family make it. It seemed like every time things started looking up we got beaten right back down. I had to take one day at a time. That was all that I could do. That was all that any of us could do. But we overcame it all.  How did I overcome? I kept God on my mind. Most of us did and when one of us started slipping into despair we would remind each other that God is sufficient for all of our needs. II Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is        made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  We find strength in God. His power will rest upon us.  Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. What can we do? All things.

         Let’s take a look at Hebrews chapter 11. By faith Abel…By faith Enoch…By faith Noah…By faith Abraham….By faith Isaac…By faith Jacob…By faith Joseph…By faith Moses… these people overcame so much by faith. Hebrews 11:33-35 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: It is amazing what we can overcome.  It is even more amazing what God can do for us if we have faith in Him. It’s all up to us to believe in Him.

         No matter how bad things are they can get a lot worse. Be thankful for what is. To keep our spirits high and to show our faith in God we have to do like the apostle Paul and Silas did when they were beaten and thrown into prison. Acts 16:25-30 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Wow! God can not only perform miracles for us but we can be a part of those miracles and be an example to others in hope that we will win others to Christ. All we have to do is have faith in Him.

         When we have faith in Him He will help us. My husband gave his heart to God and is the best husband and father that you could ask for. My niece has settled down and has a family of her own. My brother-in-law is drug free. My mother no longer has skin cancer and her mind is still very good considering her diagnoses. My step-father who was told his time was limited is still with us doing very well. My uncle passed away but not until after he was saved and spent a year of his life giving his testimony to everyone who would listen. My grandmother is still with us and doing fine. She knows who we are most of the time and no longer suffers from hallucinations. I was healed from mitro-valve prolapsed. It works at 100%. And I have learned how to deal with a sleep disorder and keep my stomach healthy. So you see as dramatic as everything previously was, we have received blessings on top of blessings. Lift your head towards the heavens and have faith in God. Just do your best an d God will do the rest.