"...My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."
--2 Cor 12:9
Were I to tally the number of times I felt unequal to the task of caring for four closely-spaced children, I think the number might be astronomical. However could I, one person with two hands, meet all the simultaneous needs when flying solo? Even trusting that the Lord wouldn't allow for circumstances that he and I couldn't handle together, the plain truth remains that I haven't grown any more limbs along with the multiple children to corral and hold, though I did have recourse to a third arm for a long time when each of our bambini was an infant. Plenty of times I considered it a Godsend.
As much as I may want to be everything to everyone, that's not realistic -- or even reasonable. I'm just one person -- a sinful, imperfect one at that. The young lives entrusted to my care need much more than I as one person can give them, but the Lord knows that and -- I trust -- makes up the difference between my hard-working best effort toward meeting the various needs and completing the fulfillment of those needs by his many conduits of grace.
When I step back to take a long view, I am reminded that many people who the world would consider "weak" have accomplished amazing things by God's grace. I'm not trying to be counted among them, but I do draw a lot of inspiration and reassurance from knowing that such has been the case. May it be so in our circumstances as well.
While it may seem lofty, naïve, or flat-out foolish to believe that the strength I need to fulfill my God-given duties would come in the form of some nebulous and invisible Grace (big "G"), I've experienced it myself, I've seen it in action, and that's enough for me.
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