God Is Not Afraid Of The Mess by Grace Edwards

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

(2 Chronicles 16:9)

God seeks to give us His strength when we are at our weakest. When things are darkest. Jesus can use ANYONE, ANYDAY, at ANYTIME.

GOD is not afraid of the mess. 

In July of 1967 a 17 year-old girl went swimming in the Chesapeake Bay with her friends. At some point while enjoying the refreshing water in the hot summer sun, she misjudged the depth of the water and dove into the shallows. Her sister, noticing that she did not resurface, swam out to her and keeping her head above water pulled her to the safety of the shoreline. She was rushed to Anne Arundel County Hospital where she was found to have a severe spinal cord injury. She was paralyzed from the shoulders down. 

Joni (pronounced Jonny) Eareckson describes lying there trapped in her body and trying to bang her head against the pillow in hopes of breaking her neck. She asked God to just take her home. Her life as she had imagined it was over…but God was far from done with her. Joni spent the next two years in rehab and learned to paint with her teeth. During this time, she wrestled with depression, suicidal thoughts, and even anger and doubt about God. 

In her words about those early years, she says, “When a broken neck upended my life 55 years ago, leaving me depressed and devastated, the last people I wanted to be around were wheelchair users like me. They made me feel awkward and so I basically ignored anyone with a disabling condition. Imagine my amazement when a little over a decade later, God used my own affliction to birth an international disability ministry. Somewhere within that decade, I rose above my fears of the future, depression, and my disdain for others with disabilities. She said:

“God transformed my heart, changed my attitude, and showed me that there are more important things in life than walking.”

I share this story to speak to the person who is waking up this morning and facing difficult circumstances. The person who feels like their future is hopeless or without purpose. The person who feels like the air is being squeezed out of their chest. 

God is big and He especially shows up when we are weak. 

Paul, the great apostle, struggled with an unnamed weakness. He wrote: 

“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 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 12:8-9)

(2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

Joni was in a wheelchair in a time where wheelchair accessibility was not a thing. In acknowledging her weakness and turning to God to tap into His strength, she became an incredible advocate for the disabled. She started an international ministry to assist people with disabilities and was appointed by Reagan to serve on the National Council on Disability which set the stage for the Americans with Disabilities Act. She has written many inspirational books and traveled around the world with her ministry  encouraging the disabled and educating communities on how to support those who are disabled. These are just a few of the many things God has done with this incredible woman. He turned her weaknesses into miraculous works that have positively impacted thousands of people!

God gives us His strength when we are at our weakest. 

At our weakest, God shines strongest. Our difficult circumstances are just another opportunity for God to do great things. He is trustworthy. He died so we could live.

When things are darkest, remember…Jesus is not afraid of our mess.

We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.

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GRACE EDWARDS, BSN, RN, CEN

Guest Blogger