rising water

The flood of ‘72 hit Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 4 months after I was born. That year was a crazy year for my parents with several life changing events: my birth, my grandmother’s house being flooded, my father changing jobs, my parents building a house in Pennsylvania while living in New Jersey, and then later that same year, moving to the new house.

Susquehanna And Maclay Streets

You’ve heard the saying - what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

It was a wild ride, but my parents made it through that year. Right now, you’re probably thinking the same thing I am. “We’ve had several years like that!” Years where significant life events stacked up against us. Even joyful ones can be chaotic and exhausting. When that happens, I’ve heard people say, “God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle.” I disagree.

I believe God allows us to experience things that we can’t handle. Things that would crush us and leave us utterly depleted. In 1972, my parents had one of those years. Mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. And despite the circumstances, here’s why I believe they made it through.

If God gave us everything that we could handle, we would never need to depend on Him. We would become confident in ourselves, our ability and our success at life. We would completely miss out on our need to rely on God. When things happen that we can’t handle, we start to ask why and then we search for the strength we need. When no one else can help us, it is in this moment that we experience who God is and learn to trust solely on Him.

Are you in the middle of a series of stressful life events or maybe even just one? It’s time to breathe. God wants to give us what we need because we can’t handle this alone. Nor should we.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,

Jody

P.S. My whole life is God showing me what He can do. There are lots of stories to prove it. I look forward to sharing them with you.