Hope Christian Church

 Made Perfect in Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9

My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

This is the verse that was shared with us this morning in our devotional whit Josh and Ivonne. Ivonne also shared it last night whit the young adults at the service at Nations Church. I have always been a favorite verse of mine since the first time I visited Mexico.

On that trip we had the chance to visit the home of a sick man from the church. After praying with him for healing, the Holy Spirit blessed me whit remembering the truth of this verse and I was able to share it whit him.

I reminded him of the gospels. What kind of stories of Christ would there be without the lepers, the blind, the lame, and the sinful? It is through those of us who are weak that God can display his power.

The night before leaving on this trip I went out for sushi with a good friend (knowing there would be no sushi in Puebla). Normally this friend and I laugh and joke around a lot. However, that evening we could not prevent our conversation from turning serious. He is about to start his own business and would be taking the next week away from his steady typical job to make plans. He said “I feel like failure is not an option right now” I tried to encourage this friend that even failures are opportunities to learn. It was only a few days later that our team was sitting in a room with Jerry listening to the story of how Esperanza Viva started. We had all heard about the first boy Jerry had found on the street but many of us had never heard how this story ended. Jerry shared with us that due the legal risk of being accused of kidnapping he was unable to keep the boy in his home. He was unable to find a suitable place for him and thus the boy returned to the street and Jerry lost contact with him. His future is unknown some 18 years later. However, it is because of contact with this child that the ministry at EV is what it is today.

Could it have been Jerry´s feelings of worry, grief, and helplessness over what happened to this first street child that motivated Jerry´s and Suzy´s vision for the City of Hope? God in his grace, mercy and power has designed our suffering into amazing opportunities if we let him complete his work in us. When I returned home I will need to find comfort in this truth. I have about 3 weeks left working at the job I have been for the last 4 years, at the end of August I will be beginning an unpaid internship and joining a new staff. I will be working with unfamiliar clients, doing unfamiliar work and yes I am very nervous! Won´t be good!

How grateful I am to serve a God so powerful that he never asks for perfection. I serve a God so merciful that he does his best work with those of us who are weak. We must only trust in his goodness and faithfulness, He will never give up on us!

What would have happened if Jerry gave up at any point that was difficult? We could not be enjoying the fruits and prayers and faith fullness on this amazing new facility. So many children would have gone without safety, education and hearing the gospel. This testimony of perseverance inspires me to not give up on myself in the difficult things that may lay ahead.

Contessa for Hope Community Church