Not Strong Enough…
Four miscarriages, the early death of my mother from breast cancer, the attachment trauma of two daughters, and then a paralyzing brain tumor. My body was weak, and my strong will was no longer protecting me. I couldn’t rely on a “can-do” theology without something more to sustain me, without a foundation stronger than the one I was on. I wasn’t strong enough to control all the circumstances in my life.
We can’t cheer ourselves out of all things. We can’t fix everything with grit and determination. We can’t be strong enough. Yet, there is a biblical strength to find and a godliness to train for. Paul writes in Colossians 1:10-14, “so we may live a life worthy of the Lord…bearing fruit, growing in knowledge, and being strengthened with all power to have endurance and patience, giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has rescued us from the darkness and brought us to the Son, in whom we have redemption.”
Who is it that brings us out of darkness? How do we train for godliness? What does strong look like practically in our lives? The answer came to me in the most unexpected place.
From Here to Eternity: Book 1
Strong, from here to eternity
A few years into my wellness journey, one of my daughter’s friends hugged me and in amazement, said, “You look strong Sheri.” I got choked up, and over the next few days and weeks, I couldn’t get the word out of my head. It started me on a journey to explore what it means biblically to be “strong.” After hours of study and thousands of words written, it all came together for me one night with a simple song sung by a three-year-old. It was in that moment I knew what strong looked like. It was in that moment I determined how I would live out the rest of my life.
From Here to Eternity: Book 2
Challenged, from here to eternity
The threats to a strong faith are many, and I’ve explored some of them in Challenged, placing them in three categories: emotions (or feelings), circumstances, and culture. All three of these categories come with a choice in how we respond. If emotions like fear, perfectionism, control, shame, or anger get the better of you, then this book is for you. If you are walking through difficult circumstances, then this book is for you. If you’re trying to determine how to be in a culture that is muddying the waters of right, wrong, and holy, then this book is for you. Commit to being stronger in your faith and turning away from the threats luring you away from a strong faith in Jesus and the Word.
