Throwback Thursday - Stronger or Half Dead

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We all know this phrase: "That which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger"

Here is my version: "That which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger...or leaves you half dead". 

It is great when things work like the first phrase. You are faced with a painful and seemingly impossible circumstance. You go through something that takes all but the last drops of your strength and life from you. Once you get to the other side the life grows back stronger, deeper, and full of confidence. 

Great story. But sometimes it doesn't work like that. Sometimes situations and trials leave us laying on our backs staring blankly into the sky. There is no way we could ever survive that again. It hurt too much. Part of our heart died. Hope left and numbness set it. We survive,  but only to limp along half dead.

 Each of us have our battles. Maybe you thought you had your eating disorder under control and then all the old thoughts started to come back. You felt so betrayed and then your marriage fell apart. You work two jobs to get food into your families mouths...just to go hungry again next month. You allow yourself to want a spouse ...just to be passed over again. Sometimes you survive but barely. Sure God is good and all that, but you aren't going to go through that again. You can't handle it.

So, instead of getting stronger, we live half dead. Smile on cue and say the right things about how God is good. Some people feel it so bad they do wish the situation had killed them.

There have been situations in my life where Jady and I have literally laid on the floor and cried to God because it felt so impossible. The need was too great and my strength was too small.

So, what makes the difference between getting stronger or walking half-dead? When we cling to the truth that the cross is enough, we get stronger.

What Jesus did on the cross is enough to meet us in our place of need. Our personal mistakes, the pain caused by another, wandering hopelessly waiting for more pain to hit...Jesus breaks in there. He died to bring breakthrough. Not just eternal life. But life abundantly. In that place that seems like a time-bomb inside waiting to go off. He comes and brings life to half dead places.

Sometimes its things that happened years ago, we just shut off and figured the pain of feeling nothing is better than the pain of feeling another blow. When you find yourself walking around anxiously trying to avoid anything that could crack the your fragile heart, risk on the cross again. Risk on Jesus. Grieve disappointment with Him. He can handle it. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, remember? We weren't made to walk around half dead. So dream again. Get stronger. Risk on God. It is always worth it.