Photo by Will van Wingerden on Unsplash
Do you ever have times when you’re
trying to do three things at once and nothing is getting the attention all
three things deserve?
I arrived with one other person,
and all seemed fine until I couldn’t get the television to work (which plays
our background music when we don’t have a pianist). With the rest of our
arrangement having arrived, I sought the help of a staff member and got it
going, but the songs were out of order with the song sheets. Not a big deal.
The gentleman who was leading the service was happy to run with it. The next
challenge was to coordinate the volume control, song selection, and sing. Gee, to
me it felt so uncoordinated. In my flesh I felt like such a fool. At one stage,
with two excellent baritone voices accompanying, we decided to abandon the
music and go acapella — worked a treat. When it came to me sharing the word of
encouragement I decided to abandon much of what I had prepared and go with the
flow of a service run by the Holy Spirit — spoke on the story of John Newton,
the author of Amazing Grace, as well
as Billy Graham and John 3:16-17.
In my embarrassment I learned
something old in a fresh way. God can do much through us as we simply hold
ourselves together the best we can when everything seems to be falling apart.
It always seems worse in the moment, but God does something with our best
efforts, even though we ourselves are cringing.
Indeed, having seen this in others,
I can attest to the power present in a person who reveals their vulnerabilities
before others — who is not afraid of being seen in their weakness. There is
something very ingenuous in a person who serves without thought of and for
themselves when they’re exposed, like they have nothing to hide.
It is for this this reason I draw comfort.
May our weakness further the
witness of the Father’s Son in us.
It’s God’s strength in our weakness
helping us be honest that helps us hold it together when everything’s falling
apart.
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