Strong Enough

Published: Feb. 21, 2023, midnight

b'My heart throbs with each bound I take, my breath growing heavy. \\u201cRun, run,\\nrun,\\u201d a voice whispers, and I struggle to obey. When I\\u2019d found that I had\\nonce again veered from the path called straight and narrow, I knew I\\ncouldn\\u2019t go back. Trying to leap over a rotting log, I feel my foot catch\\nin the crevice. Pain shoots up to my ankle as I tumble to the ground. I\\nwhimper and bite my lip. The pain inside is worse than the pain in my leg,\\nbut I will not cry.\\n.\\n\\u201cWhy are you running?\\u201d Someone asks behind me. My throat closes up as I\\nrecognize the voice.\\n.\\n\\u201cNo\\u2026\\u201d I think as I sit up feebly. The feet before me are marred with nail\\nmarks. \\u201cNo, no, no! Not here\\u2026\\u201d\\n.\\n\\u201cWhy, child?\\u201d He asks softly.\\n.\\n\\u201cI have to get away,\\u201d I choke out.\\n.\\n\\u201cFrom what?\\u201d\\n.\\n\\u201cFrom You,\\u201d I sputter. \\u201cIt\\u2019s too hard\\u2026 I can\\u2019t keep falling and facing\\nYou again.\\u201d I bury my face in my dirty hands and sob.\\n.\\n\\u201cIt is hard,\\u201d He agrees, and I marvel at his lack of anger.\\n.\\n\\u201cHow could you know?\\u201d I feel my face heat up.\\n.\\n\\u201cBecause I walked the same path. I passed over every mountain, struggled\\nthrough each valley. Child,\\u201d His voice cracks, \\u201cI know.\\u201d\\n.\\nTears fill my eyes, and I look at the ground. \\u201cI\\u2019m not strong enough.\\u201d\\n.\\nHe holds out His hand, and I can see an ugly nail mark on His wrist. \\u201cI am.\\nLean on me in your weakness, and I will sustain you. I will keep you from\\nstumbling, and help you when you fall. I am your strength, and I have faced\\nthe trials you now walk in.\\u201d\\n.\\n\\u201cI\\u2019ll fall again.\\u201d I shake my head.\\n.\\n\\u201cMy grace will sustain you.\\u201d He lifts me up. \\u201cI will fight for You. All you\\nneed to do is rest in my arms.\\u201d My tears start to slow. The heaviness in my\\nchest is replaced by something warm and light. My grace will sustain you,\\nthe words replay in my mind. I know they are true. \\u2022 Lily Walsh\\n.\\n\\u2022 How can knowing that God helps us in our weakness and trials change the\\nway we view them?\\n.\\n\\u2022 Read Hebrews 4:14-16. Jesus is fully God and fully human, so He knows and\\nunderstands every weakness and hurt we face. And through His death and\\nresurrection, He has sealed our forgiveness. How can these truths make us\\nmore confident to come to Him in our weakness? \\n.\\n\\u201cMy grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.\\u201d\\n2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nExod.14.14|Ps.37.24|Matt.11.28-Matt.11.29|Heb.4.14-Heb.4.16|2Cor.12.9'