He gives power to the faint!

Have you ever gone through one of those situations when you feel completely helpless and like you CAN NOT DO THIS anymore? Or one of those times when your strength is gone and you feel broken? Having an outgoing, sanguine personality keeps me from being too depressed or down about anything for very long - which can sometimes be a bad thing, because then I come across as being insincere or unfeeling. But life is so wonderful and there are so many beautiful things around us, that I can't be sad for long! Last year at Nationals, Laurel went through a difficult situation with the loss of a debate box before debate outrounds...and she gave it to God, and got the box back, and ended up doing very well. She's used the story in Impromptu speeches, she's grown spiritually because of it, and it's a truly amazing story. It made a big impression on me, but I had never had one of those situations myself. I am a Christian, but I hadn't gone through a difficult challenge where I was pushed to grow stronger in my faith. Well...as some of you know, this February and March I got very sick. For the first three weeks, I worked with it - didn't eat some days because it hurt too much, but over all it was okay. Praying, family's support, and talking with my best friend kept me sane. But then there came a night where I could not fall asleep....the cough was so hard and would not stop. And that's when I started crying...and I prayed that I would please be able to fall asleep. And after a while, around 1 in the morning, it worked. The next week, entering the IL Open, my favorite passage was ever present in my mind ~ "He giveth power to the faint, and to those who have no might, He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint." I was weak, I definitely felt faint! But He kept people around me who were wonderful about keeping me upbeat and actually feeling strong! And when one particular scary situation happened, I didn't stay scared long. It was quite the experience, and the whole tournament was such a testimony to what God can do, especially ironic because it was the best tournament ranking-wise this season for me. After the awards ceremony it was like God was saying, "See what I can do!"

  This past Sunday, I happened to glance at a Bible verse hung on the wall, Psalm 4:8 ~  "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" ~ and it brought a small smile to my face, with the memory of the months early this year where I grew closer to God and developed a deeper trust in Him. And it also made great qualities in my friends and family members really stand out to me - great reminders of how much I love the people in my life! 

   "The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation. He is my God." (Exodus 15:2)