Hello, and welcome to my first official blog! If you haven’t checked out my “About,” I would encourage you to do so! It will fill you in a little about myself and how God led me to the World Race!
Alright, let me set the stage for y’all:
I’m sitting at my favorite little coffee shop. I’m a little sleep deprived (hence the coffee) from a few midterms that took place in the last couple of days and a little ecstatic that Friday is the only thing standing in the way of me and a week away from school (except for the fact I have a midterm after break as well as a couple papers to work on).
After reading many past and present Racers’ blogs, I’m going to be completely honest and let you in on a little secret: I feel inadequate. They are all written with so much emotion: love, grief, compassion, and honestly, some emotions I didn’t even know I had. It feels like you are in those moments experiencing God with them. When I got the link to start my blog, I was very excited. Then I realized, I’m not the most “in touch” with my emotions; I mean, they are definitely there, but I’m not always sure what to do with them. Plus, I’m a numbers person, and not always the best with words (yes, I talk a lot; no, it doesn’t always make sense).
Sitting here now, I’m struggling to write this first blog.
Question: How am I supposed to write these posts frequently to keep my lovely supporters, family, and friends up-to-date on my trip?!
Answer: God is strong when I am weak.
God changed my “I’m not good enough” mindset to a “but He is” confidence.
In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul is telling the Corinthians about the visions he had received from the Lord. He goes on to say that he doesn’t want to boast about the experience (even though, if there is a time to boast, I’d say that’s a pretty good one), but He would only boast in his weakness. In verse 7 Paul informs the Corinthians that God gave him “a thorn in my flesh.” He doesn’t elaborate on what this thorn was, but he does say he begged God three different times to take it away.
Verse 9: “Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness’…”
I don’t know about you, but that is the most comforting thing I’ve heard all day [and/or my whole life], because, oh my goodness, if you could see the list of my weaknesses.
Paul said it best in the rest of verse 9 and into verse 10, “…So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
God uses our weaknesses to make us stronger than we could ever be on our own.
I’m going to boast in this weakness.
I’m going to boast in this lack of creative writing skill that I have been blessed with.
I’m going to boast in this opportunity to give this blog completely to God.
