When I am weak, he is strong...

I ran across an old blog I kept while pregnant and through my daughters first few months of life. I teared up reading through it. I wrote letters to her and am sad that I stopped. So I thought I'd continue here as a way to catalog them for her for the future and will also import the old letters so they will all be in the same place. :)

Dear Lillian,

You're 3 weeks shy of turning 3 years old. You started dance classes a few weeks ago. You love dancing around the house, so I thought we would give classes a try. You were nervous at first as I sat beside you and helped you get into first position. I casually backed away and let you dance on your own. You loved it. You loved the ballet shoes, the lavender tutu and the sounds your "skate" shoes (tap shoes) made as you tiptoed across the wood floors. Last week during class you fell down. You didn't cry or scream when you fell. It was only when I peeped around the corner to see what happened that you caught my eyes and teared up. I could see you trying so hard to hold it in, but you lost it.

It broke my heart. There were only ten minutes left, so I let you sit in my lap until the end. You told me you quit. You didn't want to go back. You were done with dance and threw your tap shoes across the room saying they were too slippery. I tried to calm you down.

 

 Today, we went back to dance class. You were so excited, but a little under the weather. I think that played a huge role in you not wanting to go in the dance room. You said you didn't want to dance anymore. You said you fell and the skates were too slippery. You clung to me like glue. We ended up leaving the class early. I brought you home.

Today, we watched youtube video after video of dancers falling. Then I showed you videos of dancers dancing, tapping and moving across the floor so gracefully. You were in awe. You said, "mama, bring me my skates." You put on those tap shoes and started mimicking those dancers.

Last week she fell at the end of her tap class and told me she quit and refused to go near her slippery "skate" shoes again. She clung to me today at dance and wouldn't even participate, partly because she isn't feeling well and partly because she's embarrassed. I know she LOVED her dance classes because she danced around the house all week. We left dance class to go home and watch videos of people falling while dancing, then videos of tap dancers. She asked me to put her tap shoes on her and has been mimicking the them. She said she wants to try dance again next week!

A video posted by Ashley DeYoung (@ashleydeyo) on Oct 2, 2015 at 9:04am PDT

I want you to know that you will fall down. You will get hurt and you will feel low. Don't let the thoughts in your head or outsiders hinder the great work that God can do through you. I am here to tell you that when you feel like you're done, you've hit bottom and you're weak...know that God's grace is sufficient for you.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 says: 

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 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.

When you hit that point where you want to give up, know that HIS grace is sufficient for you. HIS power is made perfect in weakness. Continue on seeking HIS will and letting HIM work through you, Love.

xoxo