By Jeannine Sawall
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may
rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
I was in
a serious car accident a years ago and sustained injuries that slowed life to a
crawl. I had been very discouraged at the slowness of recovery. I had not been
released to drive yet because I lacked the range of motion necessary for my
head to turn to properly see oncoming cars from the right or left, or if I
were to back up. If I sat too long, I was in pain. My body was generally
extremely tense from the shoulders up, causing headaches, and I was totally
fatigued by the end of the day. On top of that...it was the Christmas season
and the mom who generally makes it happen was not herself. When I asked the
doctor when I would start to "feel normal," he said I would only get
frustrated and discouraged if I thought in days or weeks. He said, “Look out a
few months and think May.” ...MAY!?! Just shoot me now!!
I had to
decide whom I was going to listen to. The nagging, feeling-sorry-for-myself,
this-is-so-unfair voice, or the voice who says, “My grace is sufficient.” Instead of focusing on the hard and
discouraging things, I needed to look at the positives. There was much to be
thankful for. I ONLY have muscle injuries. I was alone in the car when I was
hit, so no one else was injured. I walked out of the ER from an accident that
totaled my car and turned a class 3 hitch 180 degrees and burst my spare
tire. I was mending (although, much slower than my impatient schedule would
desire) and I had friends and family who were able to take me where I needed to
go.
No
matter what our circumstances, God reminds us He will provide. I don’t think
God willed the accident to happen, but He definitely did allow it. We may not
always LIKE what God allows, but we are called to trust Him. We need to
remember, He is in control of it all...our healing, our timeframe, our life and
our salvation. He will provide and offer us the strength to go through anything
He allows into our lives, because He provides us with His gift of grace.
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Where
in your life do you need the grace of God to provide for you in a struggle or
difficulty?
2. Whose voice do you listen to on a daily basis: your own or the voice of Truth?
2. Whose voice do you listen to on a daily basis: your own or the voice of Truth?
FURTHER
READING:
Jeannine is a wife and mother of four great
boys. She works in the property management business. Jeannine serves in several
behind-the-scenes ministries at Oakwood and has a heart for those who are
grieving.
