angelaschmeling

Ever gotten poked by a thorn? It hurts! It pierces through your skin. It does not feel good. Things that happen in our life we can relate them to a thorn. They hurt. They pierce us. It can be financial, it can be health, it can be relational, but no matter what it is, it can be a thorn in our side that never seems to go away.

We all go through these struggles and issues. Sometimes they bring us right down to our knees. Sometimes we pray and pray and pray for things to happen with no answers and we begin to wonder if God is even listening. Is He ignoring us? Does He even care?

For years, I have prayed for healing in my husband’s knee. He hurt it many years ago when he was serving in the military over in Afghanistan. It brings him such pain and it breaks my heart because I feel so helpless. Last year, we thought we had finally found answers and that things had been resolved. After having surgery on his knee, everything seemed to be going amazing only to have the pain come back with a vengeance 6 months later.

It was incredibly disheartening.

Then the other day we were driving around the city, running some errands and at a stoplight, my husband just said, “Lord, take it away.” Just a desperate cry to relieve the pain.

Out of the blue, I respond. “Maybe this is your thorn.”

I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

2 Corinthians 12:7-8 NIV

In that passage above, Paul talks briefly about a thorn in his flesh. We don’t know exactly what that is. We don’t know if it was something healthwise, if it was something financial, or something completely different. But whatever it was, it was something that he asked several times, pleaded even, for the Lord to take it away. God’s response was simple.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Probably not the response that any of us really want, right? I myself have been battling some weird health issues for over 8 months and we have not yet figured out fully what’s going on and much like the issue with my husband’s knee, I just want to go, “God, You can heal this! You can provide answers! Why are You silent?”

I don’t think I’m alone in this. It can be frustrating.

But let’s look at Paul’s response to God telling him no. That God’s grace is sufficient. That this thorn will continue on.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

Even in the midst of the trial, the struggle, the thorn, we can have joy. We can show the light of Jesus to those around us.

This made me think of my mother-in-law. She passed away 20 years ago now – hard to believe that it’s been that long. Sheryl had battled brain cancer for 4.5 years. There were hard days. She battled exhaustion, but never wanted to sleep (she didn’t want to waste any time sleeping). Migraines were constant, chemo treatments, and on top of all that, raising teenagers which anyone that raises teenagers can understand that is a whole different realm of struggle. Sheryl did this with a heart after God and often with a smile on her face. She knew that her thorn (cancer) wasn’t going to be taken away, but she used it as an opportunity to speak Christ to everyone around her and to shine that light and love that we are all called to do.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.

James 1:2-3 MSG

I do not know why God doesn’t answer all prayers. At least, not always in the way that I expect. But I am grateful that I serve a God that’s smarter than me. That can give me strength in my weakness, through Him, IF I ALLOW IT. I have to trust like it says in Isaiah that His ways are higher, His thoughts are better.

And with that in mind, with that focus, I can remember that no matter what happens, whatever thorns I have, I can still have JOY. I can still thank God for every day I am given because every day is another opportunity to bring light to someone that is in darkness. That during that pressure, that test, that challenge, I can have a faith-life that is shown true.

Is it easy?

No way, but when I am weak, I need to remember to shift my focus on Him and that makes me strong.