Today I bemoan yet another day my recent path of affliction has ruined. And on Sunday, no less. Well, pooh.
This being called to a life of suffering for over thirty years, while never running lean on grace, has its moments with frustration.
So thankful that, on this ‘day of perpetual reminding’ – the reminding of His delight in my weakness*, that is – I ran across this tidbit of welcome inspiration from James Innell, more widely known as J.I. –
God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away. To live with your ‘thorn’ uncomplainingly — that is, sweet, patient, and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak — is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace.
– J.I. Packer
My wife and I are scheduling some episodes on the Pasture’s Podcast, fixating on the theme of “Unfixable.” The thought is, how does one find the fight and will to go on – in joy – when things don’t get fixed? When your prodigal doesn’t come home, or your spouse doesn’t get healed, when that prayer isn’t answered, when that divorce happened anyway, when the tomorrow you looked forward to yesterday looks a heckuva lot like the today you’re presently enduring…
…and we think we’ve found the perfect inspiration piece to decorate our conversation:
Faith-healing is grand, but faith-enduring is grander.
– Charles Spurgeon
Stay tuned, beloved.
But mostly, keep clinging to grace. It’s all we’ve got.
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* His delighting in our weakness means only that He sees the generous work of redeeming out of us all that is irredeemable, and the pouring in of all that prepares us for greater glory – and He deservedly takes joy in it. Selah.