In her beautiful response to this piece, Aileen reminded me of the following verse

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.

2 Corinthians 8:8-10

Which set me thinking again.

About the God of all things who seems drawn to humble broken people.

There is a danger that we come to be familiar with a certain kind of weakness, and wear it like a badge- we are after all called into a transformative encounter with the Spirit of God.

But still, we only find this encounter in- weakness. When our own ways of coping run out, and we let go the hunger to possess, to overcome, to self actuate.

Listen to me- like I have got this sorted!

Time for a poem I think…

Weakness

A bruised reed may not break

But still it withers

So it is that sometimes

I fear these wounds

Are terminal

I grasp for the shreds of my own strength

And hunger for soul shrinking success

That comes and yet is never enough

What is this power

Made perfect

In weakness?

Could it be that the mess of me

Might yet be compost

And seeds you sow

Will grow?