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Although I have never come close to running in a marathon, I know that the participants must be physically fit to successfully embark on a grueling, 26-mile, long distance race!

I think this analogy is a good reflection of the importance of being prepared spiritually to meet the challenges in our daily lives so we can emerge victorious. It is through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, study of Scripture, solid teaching of His Word, and actively applying that knowledge, along with prayer, that God’s grace prepared me for the trials I have shared in my memoir.

Invariably people identify areas of strength and courage as they observe some of the trials I have overcome.  Although flattering, I always brush the comments aside, until one day I began to purposefully ponder these remarks.

I wondered why people pinpointed strength in my life when I was dependant on others. Wasn’t it a sign of weakness to need help? Slowly, I began to realize that my view of strength and weakness were skewered by wrong assumptions. To me, strength equaled independence and weakness denoted dependence on others. Due to blindness, I don’t always have the level of freedom that I desire.   Simple tasks such as driving or going where I want, when I want, all defined weakness in my mind. So, how could I be strong when I felt weak? There is a certain level of inability that blindness creates and I can’t escape.   But even though I am quite independent, I confused inner, spiritual strength with physical ability.

On the other hand, I recognized an inner strength and boldness which can only be attributed to the hand of the Lord God! If it were not for His power, I wouldn’t be able to persevere through the trials that surface in my life.

It is this paradox of strength and weakness that I wish to address in my next blog.

Perhaps you have times when you feel on top of things in your life but the next moment you are reduced to feeling inadequate and weak of heart and mind.

It is through reflecting upon the diverse trials of Abraham, Joseph, Noah, Moses, King David, Job, that I wish to explore how these men all sustained faith through their adversities.

Join me again to explore ways to survive life’s storms.