“God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.”  How often have you heard that?  It can be a comforting thought, but you know what?  I’ve read the Bible cover to cover, and I haven’t found that said anywhere in it.  (I could be wrong… and if I am, I would love to be corrected, because I’d like to believe it’s true.)  The verse that I think this is referring to is in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  So God said that we wouldn’t be tempted more than we can handle.  He didn’t say this world wouldn’t be filled with problems, hurts, illnesses, and hardships that are more than we can handle.

I have a friend who is also a mom of 3 boys.  She is currently going through something that I don’t know how I’d be able to handle, and to be honest I hope I don’t ever have to find out.  She has been bravely and inspirationally fighting the cancer battle.  Earlier this week, the doctors advised that it was time to stop the treatments, and she began hospice care.

How does a mom say goodbye to her school age boys?  How does a wife say goodbye to her husband?  How do those left behind thank God for the time they had with her without getting angry about the time they won’t?  That definitely is more than anyone can handle.   But then I look at how she and her husband are walking through this season and I am in awe.  If you ask how, they will point to Jesus.

I believe God allows us to have more that we can handle pressing in on us, because He doesn’t want us to handle it.  He wants us to turn to Him, to allow Him to carry us through.  And that is what my friend has done, still with a sparkle in her eye (and on her fingers, and around her neck, and her wrists… she sells jewelry and didn’t stop during her treatments because of the joy it brings her and those around her.)

God tells us He is “close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)  He also tells us “In this world we will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome.”  (John 16:33)  And that is what I hold on to when I have trouble… Jesus has overcome, even if we only experience that victory in eternity.  Because whatever we are facing in this world, no matter how hard, how crushing, how devastating, Jesus will carry us through if we let Him.

(I tried to attach one of Jeff’s songs to this post so that it would play as you were reading it, but I’m not at home and the internet connection here is so slow and keeps kicking me off, so it didn’t work.  So, I have to attach a link instead… I love this song.  It’s called Brokenhearted and Jeff wrote it based on Psalm 34.)

http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/354369

If you are going through something right now in which you are brokenhearted… know that I am praying for you as I am typing and that Jesus desires to carry you through it.  Please let him.

♥Becki, imperfect, brokenhearted woman, carried by perfect tenderhearted God