I led worship the day after my dad died.
At the time, I didn’t know why I did it, but I did.
Maybe it was a needed distraction.
Maybe it was a bit of denial.
Maybe I just needed and wanted that day to be normal.
But it wasn’t a normal day.
My dad just died.
And though I know it was a relief to the suffering he’d experienced for months, it felt like the beginning of my suffering.
Because the ensuing grief that followed his death was different than any I’d felt before.
After worship, I remember people telling me how strong I was and how strong I must be to have been able to sing and worship.
But the truth is, it was quite the opposite.
It was really one of the weakest points of my life.
It was a, where else can I turn, if not to God moment.
I didn’t want to stay home and wallow in grief, I’d done that before.
And though there are moments, times, and seasons for tears, this wasn’t that time.
Instead of total despair…
Instead of totally being in utter despair about what I could not change and going on and on in my head about the what-ifs (I’d done that before), I made the choice to praise the One who could change everything.
The One who could bind up my broken heart.
The One who could set me free.
The One who could give me beauty instead of ashes.
The One who could give me joy instead of mourning.
And the One who could give me a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
You see in weakness; God is made strong.
And I don’t know if I really knew what it meant until I walked through seasons of grief.
I mean, there have been times when I felt as if I couldn’t even lift my head from my pillow because of the weight of grief. But God on the inside, His strength has kept me going.
God’s strength keeps me going. And God’s strength will keep you going.
So maybe today, you are finding yourself under the weight of grief.
Maybe today, the grief is knocking a little harder.
Or maybe you’ve entered a new season of fresh grief.
And you don’t know how you are going to make it through this.
Well, I want you to know that God will be your strength.
He wants to be your strength.
Because He is made strong in your weakness.
Right now, just tell him, even if it’s a whisper, “Lord, be my strength”.
God hears you and He will honor your prayer.
Be encouraged today, God is with you.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).
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