Made Perfect

Last Tuesday, I had all these plans on my calendar for what I was going to do last week. I was going to spend some girl time at my moms with her and my two sisters. I was going to spend some more girl time at the pool with my sister-in-law and her two children. Later in the week she was going to come to the house for our kids to play. I had grocery lists and ideas of going to the library. Nothing important, but I definitely had my week pretty much planned out.


Then I woke up on Tuesday morning. My energy was so drained I had to lay back in bed for 30 minutes after taking a shower. I could barely hold my arm up to blow dry my hair. My husband and my mom/sisters were concerned. Maybe I had mono, or some other illness that required a doctors care. I called Ask-A-Nurse and they told me to seek medical attention. So I gave in and went to the doctor the next day. He told me, he was pretty sure I had a gastrointestinal virus. A gastro what? A virus could make me feel so tired, like I was in the final days of pregnancy? A virus? Are you sure?


That night just after midnight, my daughter woke up and she was sick, sick, sick. And I knew-that doctor did know what he was talking about! As I stood in the bathroom with her, rubbing her back, I started praying. The Lord knows how queasy I get watching someone sick like that. I prayed that I could be a good mama and take good care of her...and I prayed that no one else in my house would get it and that she would get better very soon. I can tell you that He truly showed up for me in that bathroom! All grossness was gone and He gave me the strength I needed, time after time.


But that second part of my prayer, no matter how much I bleached and used Lysol-He chose to say no! Just when we thought we were in the clear, my two boys got that stomach bug. I can tell you, I thanked the Lord repeatedly for my washing machine and bleach cleaner. In the midst of my sick children, and praying for repeated strength, the Lord made me realize something. I have been taking for granted my families good health. I have been making plans without consulting Him and asking Him what He'd like me to do this summer. I felt like Paul when he said, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me." (2 Corinthians 12:7). Let me tell you- that stomach flu was no joke and it felt like a thorn in my flesh, tormenting me and my family!


I also remembered something else from that passage of scripture. God told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor 12:8b) He gave me what I needed to make it through. In the end, I even found myself praising Him for this stomach bug-not because I wanted my family sick, but because it was after all just the stomach flu. It wasn't cancer or a brain tumor or so many other life long illnesses. I knew that no matter how bad it got-in a few days, God willing, we'd be back to normal again. The pool would still be there waiting for us, the cousins would still want to play and I could go to my moms anytime.


So often we think our lives are our own to plan out and do whatever we wish. Then something happens and we don't have the strength to make it and reminds us that His strength is made perfect in weakness. Made perfect. Think about that. There have been many times in my life where I've felt the Spirit calling and I'll answer, "But Lord, I'm not strong enough...or I can't sing well enough...or I'm not smart enough..or I'm not_________fill in the blank."


He tells us that it's OK that we aren't all those things, often that is why He calls us. It causes people to not look at me-instead they are looking at the power of God in my life. I am so humbled to think of how He turns my weaknesses into something beautiful, into something perfect!