Finding Strength in Weakness
When realizing my chronic illness, "strength" is not a word that comes to me.
I looked at the 10 day forecast a moment ago. With temperatures continuing to hover around 90°F, I know my MS-compromised body will feel weak. I often call it "noodley" because I feel like a piece of cooked spaghetti.
What, in this noodley body, is strength?
In the Bible (2 Corinthians 12:10) Paul (a follower of Jesus), after complaining about a physical illness, sums it up "I am content with weaknesses… For whenever I am weak, then I am strong."
Physical weakness invites me to experience strength in many ways. When I am weak I have the opportunity to:
Ask for help.
There are activities I can no longer do. The challenge is to recognize my weakness and ask for help without believing that it means anything about me.
Weakness does not make me a bad person, though the monsters would have me believe it. It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that asking for help means someone is less and someone is more. That is not the truth.
Enter the present moment
When I realize that I need help, I am in THIS moment. There is no room for future plans or past regrets. The need is NOW.
Give a blessing
Research shows that people like to feel needed. Others feel better when they can help someone. As they help me and I consciously bless them, I am re-weaving the web of life.
Surrender
As I realize I am not independent or in control, I surrender to God. I get to relax my anxiety and realize that I am not in charge. I am aware, when I am feeling sick and tired, of an inner strength, not my own, that lets me know that all is well.
It turns out I agree with Paul: whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
Please feel free to send me email and ask for support.
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