You just don't know

Being a counsellor I have so often heard people saying things to me such as “I don’t have the strength” or “I cannot bear it”.
And indeed I do not disregard these people or their feelings. When we are confronted with situations, challenges and obstacles beyond our limits, this is exactly how we feel – powerless and without the strength to face them.
We immediately recoil, turning into our inner-selves, avoiding even the thought of what we don’t want to face. Everything around seems so scary and it is as if life cannot go on.
But the truth is, we just don’t know the strength we have inside -- not only to face this particular challenge but many more which will eventually come our way.
Several weeks ago we learnt, with sorrow, about the passing of Ma Sisulu – a female icon of our society and an activist by nature who struggled against apartheid.
Reading her biography I found such a wealth of examples of how one can be strong beyond one’s limits.
A young woman born in the Transkei, marrying at the age of 26, she had no political aspirations but became the first woman ever to be confined in a solitary cell for nearly two months because she took a stand against a situation.
Not only that, she was arrested several times after this but she still chose to march with the thousands of women to the Union Buildings against the “dompas”. She supported her husband during his days underground and raised five children virtually alone, during his 25 years of improsonment in Robbin Island.
In the midst of most stringent restrictions exercised by the regime, she started a charity foundation to look after destitute children and elderly people.
We pay tribute to her legacy but, above all, we use her as an example to illustrate how strong a person can be if they have determination for a cause, not knowing the reserves of strength within themselves.
How much stronger can you be knowing God is at your side? And do you know why? Because God has made us perfect. Do you believe He has just overlooked the fact that we need to have a strong spirit to face this world?
He intends to use you to display His glory in this world.
So make Paul’s words your own today – “When I am weak, then I am strong” and confess it with all your heart. You don’t know it, but you will surely find out what an “iron woman” you can be with God.