In his first week's stay at Sparks Regional Medical Center, my grandfather--whom we call "Poppa"--was being attended by nursing staff trying to assess his needs so they could provide proper medical care. It is not always easy to ascertain what the needs are of an elder man who is succumbing to the later stages of dementia.
My mother recounted one particular moment when his nursing staff entered his room during one such assessment:
They were discussing his physical challenges and, Mom said, they kept discussing his lack of strength. "He is weak," "so weak" they would say; indeed, Poppa cannot walk now on his own and is having trouble eating meals of any kind. Most certainly, the combination of these two things alone causes a verifiable "weakness."
But being the Man of God and Man of Strength that my Poppa is, he would not allow such words to be spoken over him.
Momma said that she watched as he lifted his arm and fist fully in the air and declared, with all of the godly stubbornness he could muster, "Let the weak say, I am strong!"
The Scripture he used and had no doubt preached about numerous times in his fifty years of pastoral ministry--and innumerable readings during devotion times alone or with my Grandma--came to the forefront at his hour of need.
What I am learning: We have more strength than we know...and we have infinite strength accessible to us from God through Christ Jesus.
I never want to forget, on one particular visit that first week, how he held my hand in his grip before I left. He held it tightly--with a strength he shouldn't have had--letting me know, in that small way, that he was going to be strong and fight until the end.
No, I never want to forget...because I want to remember ALWAYS that, no matter what happens or what comes my way, I AM STRONG THROUGH JESUS. And the Word of God--that I MUST hide in my heart--will keep me strong when even the "professionals" declare otherwise over my life.
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD.
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