“God bless you’re week.”

It was a sweet sentiment from one of my parents at the preschool where I work. It closed out her email and I can’t forget it.

First, the grammar mistake is probably what caught my eye, but it isn’t the grammar mistake that makes it unforgettable.

Yesterday, my pastor preached on how God uses our struggles, our weaknesses, to grow us and to give Himself the glory He deserves. While the preacher cited passages from several books of the Bible, his main text was Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians 12:

“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” verses 9-10 (emphasis mine)

Weak is definitely a feeling I can relate to right now. Worn, weary, and most definitely weak. Powerless to change things, an inability to control things and a continued state of just not knowing things has been my reality for quite some time in quite a few too many parts of my life lately.

I get “weak.” I am weak – Yet, yesterday here was my pastor pointing out truths from God’s word that reminded me that being weak in God’s economy was actually the best way to be.

Nothing he said was new, but oh, it was – and still is this morning, profound. My pride wants to boast, oh, I know that . .  and I do, in my head, but it is the very truth refresher my heart needed.

I said, “Goodbye for now,” at a saint’s funeral yesterday afternoon. Then later, I tried to be there for a hurting friend that isn’t yet ready to let anyone share their burden. I went through the motions and then last night, feeling beyond weak – I wept.

Through my tears, I prayed aloud with the assurance I was heard. Then, this morning before the dawn, the Spirit drew me to the same verse from two different sources:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Okay, God. I will trust You. I will not lean on, or depend on, or put my hope in, my own understanding. God, I need you to make my paths straight. I acknowledge that I am weak and I am unable and I need you.

Then, I got to work, opened my email and found this sweet mom’s grammatically incorrect, but oh-so-perfect, prayer for my week.

Having been an English minor is college, usually stuff like this bugs me like crazy – but, this time, it hit home and spoke truth to me in the best way . . .

The contraction “you’re” is short for “you are.” No big deal right? She should have written “your week,” meaning the week of mine, my week – “God bless your week” — BUT, because she mistyped it this way, I read it like this:

“God bless, you are weak” or “God bless your weakness.”

Here in the south, we women are asking God’s blessings on everything and everyone – unfortunately for me I throw the phrase “God bless” around as a sign of pity or desperation or frustration – like, “God bless that driver, she doesn’t know where she’s going.” Or, “God better bless that daughter of mine, who can’t keep her room clean.”

Yet, it is a sincere prayer. This mama that wrote me, truly would like God to bless me. She may have intended for God to bless the next five to seven days, but the way I read it, and what I instantly found myself praying for – was that God would indeed bless all that feels and is weak within me.

I don’t have to doubt that God is already answering this prayer. Just looking back over the focal passage from yesterday’s sermon, I am encouraged by the truth of God’s Word.

• His grace IS sufficient for my weakness.
• His power IS made perfect in my weakness.
• In my weakness I can be glad because His power rests upon me.
• I can be content in my weakness because of Christ.
• For when I am weak, I am actually very, very strong.

I have been blessed for being weak – His has been my strength before.

I am blessed for I am weak – He is my strength now.

I will be blessed for being weak – He will be my strength always.

My prayer for you today is that God will bless your weak, your helpless, your powerlessness as He is continuing to bless mine.