Today we are so excited to team up with Suzie Eller again! Her heart is such a treasure! Grab some coffee and Bible and lets enjoy the journey of living free with Christ! Enjoy our post today and be sure to pop over to Suzie’s place…there will be lots of ladies linking together! And you know we enjoy the gathering of Faithful girls!

Recently I have battled shoulder pain! It started in the right shoulder. It now likes to move from side to side. I’ve seen two physicians. I currently go to physical therapy, massage therapy, take medications, do exercises and constantly try and rid myself of this nagging pain!

I call out to God…”I don’t want to be consumed by this pain”!

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

At times, the pain seems all consuming.

Christ is all consuming, when I allow Him to be my strength.

Less of me. More of Him.

When I am weak, He is strong.

When I sit in groups and we ask for prayer I don’t want to keep asking for my pain to be removed. But yet, I do. The funny thing is that when I become consumed with helping others my pain diminishes. Now, I am not going to lie for a great illustration. I am going to be honest and say…it is not gone, but it is decreased when I am doing for others. And I see God teaching me. Molding me. Speaking to me. Even in my pain!

Let’s go to the day after Christmas. I woke up and knew I had to go to work. Now we have a family owned and operated business and I was the only one working that day….so I decided to go in my PJ’s! Yes, in my PJ’s! I thought of the fact the police could have a random stop or pull me over for speeding (which would be so silly to do in your PJ’s) and I decided it was worth the risk! I really just wanted to go, check on things and come home and stay in my PJ’s!

I went.

I conquered.

I came home.

The rest of the day, I could stay in my PJ’s and do what I wanted!

I stayed in my PJ’s and only took them off when I decided to take a long, relaxing bath! This was therapy for my shoulder pain! And as I lay there, God worked on my heart. We conversed. And I realized that even with this pain, that has lasted well over the length of time I would like, I am able.

I am able.

I am able with his strength!

Make me willing, Lord!

Yes, Lord, you are so good. You continue to allow me to be able!

My pain is present, but I have a willing heart!

My phone buzzed (…ok…I admit…I left it by the tub)!

A friend, in crisis, was throwing up the white flag. She said, “Okay friend, I surrender, could you help me”? And I said, “Yep! Be there in 10”!

And I dried off, threw my sweats on, complete with bedroom slippers and a wet head and drove to my friends house. But before I left I said, “Thank you, Lord.”

Thank you that you allow me to help my friends, even with this pain.

Thank you that I am able.

Make my heart willing!

Be my strength in my weakness!

Let me be about you and not about me.

Let me surrender, as my friend did!

And I realized…this pain…it’s not all about me. Yes, I am the one who feels it, who nurses it, who if I am not careful will be consumed by it. But, this pain; this pain may be the very thing I need to remind me that I need God to be my strength! And the more I realize that it is You and Your strength, the more I realize that all I am willing and able to do is for your glory!

Less of me!

More of you!

You, Lord!!

Jodie