I Discovered my Favorite Bible Verse in a Bathroom.

@GirlfriendsIn God posted this photo recently and since it is one of my favorites, I had to share.  This verse became such a soft place to land when we were in Seattle for Jack’s bone marrow transplant for leukemia.  There I was, 2,000 miles away from home, with my sick husband, our two children ages 4 and 7, and my mother and father in law. I felt pretty alone and helpless.

I can vividly remember going into the bathroom in our rented apartment in downtown Seattle and flipping open my Bible.  Jack was to enter the hospital the next day to begin his radiation and chemo prior to the transplant.  He was given a 30% chance of survival.  We were trying to keep things “normal” for our kids, trying to keep my positive face on for everyone around me.  But I was struggling not to fall apart right when we were going into the heat of the battle.

I flipped open my Bible in the bathroom (I know ….it’s the bathroom…but it was the only place to be alone) and this scripture flipped open.  Isn’t God amazing how he just meets us wherever we are, even the bathroom in a rented apartment thousands of miles away from home, and gives us what we need?  I had just prayed…Lord I don’t know what to do.  I don’t know what is going to happen.  Help me be strong.  And then He sends this scripture.

He says…I am sufficient…I am enough…I am all you need.  And if that isn’t good enough…My awesome power is make PERFECT in weakness.  Bible scholars may argue that what I took from this isn’t what was intended.  But what it meant for me was ….Patti I know you are at your weakest.  You have never been in a more scary or vulnerable place.  And now I AM AT MY BEST….MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT.  Lean into me.

And I did.  From that day on I just simply said, Lord your power is perfect today.  We can do today.  One Day At A Time became my motto.

On New Year’s Eve, we marked 21 years since the bone marrow transplant.  21 years since that moment in the bathroom where I simply flipped open His Word and said Help Me.  He is faithful friends.  We lived through that time to be here today to tell you that He is Faithful.  We lived through it to tell that when you are at your bottom, He is at the top.  He showcases His Perfect Power when you are at your weakest point and cry out and say Help Me. He will be there.  I promise.