I was speaking with a man this morning whose wife is dying of cancer. Having walked through what we did with Isaac, I can imagine his pain. I know our suffering is different than his…but if I allow myself to consider his situation I can imagine it. And it is awful.
To watch the love of your life deteriorate, unfathomable. To, as the husband, not be able to “fix it”…heartbreaking. It is hard and uncomfortable and unfair. It just is.
And he said to me that he was struggling because “they say God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.” And he said he was having a hard time with God because of that…
Can I be honest – I can’t stand when people say that.
Like any mother can “handle” her son’s suicide. Or any husband can “handle” his wife’s cancer. Or any child can “handle” losing a parent….the list can go on and on.
No, I told him, I don’t like when people say that so I have rephrased it. I believe God doesn’t give us more than HE can handle. And He can handle everything if we are willing to turn to him.
So we go to God with the despair over suicide and we go to God with the fear of cancer and we go to God when the hurt and the pain of life is too much and we ask Him for strength. We ask Him for wisdom, we ask Him for mercy and grace.
I can’t handle this, and I am not strong. But God can and He is. I am holding fast to that today.