My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. II Cor. 12: 9
Life is often difficult. In the intricate interdependence of life, much of what happens to us is beyond our control. The apostle Paul spoke of a life filled not only with persecution and pain but also with grace and wonder. The same is true of our lives. God's aim for wholeness in our lives embraces our vulnerability and pain as well as our success and joy. Growing in wisdom and stature involves accepting the totality of your life, both what you can change and what you must endure.
Our pain is often personal as we attend to our own quest for relational, psychological, and spiritual wholeness. We cannot hide from our pain and the pain of others if we seek to be God's partners in healing the world. If we live long enough, we will have our own personal struggles with aging, sickness, and dying. While we praise independence, we will also learn the gift of vulnerability and interdependence.
When we claim our place in God's dynamic and interdependent universe, we continually discover resources and inspiration beyond our own powers. This is a matter of trust in God and in others when we least are able to care for ourselves. When we open ourselves up to God's continuing care for our lives, God and those whom we love will supply our deepest needs in living and dying. Though we may wish to remain independent, we will become stronger in faith and life as we claim life's radical interdependence as a gift and grace.
Think about these things:
God's grace is sufficient for me.
I rejoice in the graceful interdependence of life.
God strengthens me in my vulnerability.
God strengthens me in specific situations.
Prayer:
God of all seasons, we bring you our health and illness, our joy and our pain. Work with our vulnerability so that we might find your grace always sufficient for our need. Bless us with the spirit of interdependence, receiving and giving your grace in every encounter. Amen.
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