«And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. ‘ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me» (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Vaneetha Rendall Risner is a writer I admire not only for her talent, but also for her example. When Vaneetha was in her twenties, her life was «perfect.» She had graduated with honors, had an excellent job, and had formed a beautiful family. Vaneetha said that from a human standpoint, her life was a success. However, when she turned thirty, everything changed: her marriage went into crisis, one of her sons passed away, Vaneetha had four miscarriages, and was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome. She then devoted herself to educating her children at home and cooking delicious, nutritious meals. Despite everything, she still felt successful, even though it was a different kind of success. When she was a little over forty, everything disintegrated. Her husband left her for another woman, saying that she was not a good wife, and her children turned away from God, accusing her of not being a good mother. Vaneetha said, «Everything I had worked for disappeared. The things I had valued disintegrated. There wasn’t a single loose thread of success I could hold on to.»
However, she believed her failure became a blessing. Because she had nothing else to hold on to, Vaneetha clung to God. «My successes in life never gave me security. On the contrary, I was pressured to remain successful,» she added. Adversity and pain taught her to base her identity on Jesus, not on her accomplishments or what people thought of her. She said she found a new self-confidence and deep peace in the midst of weakness and failure.
We tend to look at weakness and failure with disdain, but they may be diamonds in the rough. «Your weaknesses are the key to the greatest and most unimaginable future God has planned for you,» wrote Matthew Kelly. «Your strengths are probably already giving all the fruit possible. They will continue to bear good fruit in your life, but at some point, they will begin to stagnate. Your richest and most abundant fruit is intimately linked to your weaknesses.» We resist accepting this truth because it is humiliating. However, it is precisely the humility of weakness that makes the fruit sweeter and more abundant.
Dear Lord, my physical, mental, and spiritual weaknesses are avenues for Your grace. I humbly accept my limitations today. Show me what You can do with them!
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
