”He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.“

This was the passage that seemed to be pursuing me in the month leading up to this trip. I wasn’t looking for it, its an iconic passage, the thing Christian school T-shirt’s are made of, but this was different. Every Bible study I did, every podcast, every devotional. I have learned in my walk with the Lord, when this happens to be attentive. The Lord is equipping for something. He’s filling my heart with specific words that will be needed.  

And that they were. International missions have a unique way of both delighting and depleting the body and heart, sometimes and most often simultaneously. This trip was no different. The last leg of our journey kept growing in length through airport delays. The final flight into Roatán was spent praying and pleading with the Lord to sustain my child who was trapped in a window seat while trying not to lose his battle with bad airport food. This trial was replaced with a bumpy muggy van ride that culminated upon arrival rushing to find a bucket in a new place where I knew little about. God, I trust You, I trust Your Words. They are perfect and true. You sustained. 

Strength He gave. 

Hard days of physical labor in hot muggy conditions with an uneasy tummy that just didn’t want to adjust easily to its new diet and home. 

New strength He gave. 

Upper body strength has never been something I’ve possessed much of, even when pursuing it. Every task I found myself participating in seemed to require it. Removing rooms of old floor boards, old drywall from ceilings overhead that needed to come down, followed by the removal of the hundreds of nails and screws that once held them up. Replacing said drywall above my head.  

He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.  

You God are faithful. 

I type these words sitting in the Miami airport on my journey home. According to my original flight plans, I should be in California right now, in our hotel, resting for the car journey that lies ahead in the morning. Instead we find ourselves once again confronted by our own weakness and weariness and also confronted and comforted again by the incredible reality that we serve a God who is not overwhelmed by our lack. He simply asks of me to trust Him, not with anything I have (which is down to a melted larabar smashed in the corner of my purse, sweaty stale clothes, and less than ideal energy levels and attitudes at this point). We thank Him for giving us His eyes to see Him in the little things; for the grace of a kind hotel employee who kindly canceled our reservation hours beyond the cutoff time since we won’t be making it there for the night, Felipe the Airline employee who showed compassion and stayed after he was off of work to find us some granola bars and water since all of the airport options were closed. 

We continue to trust in the God Who knew todays plans and is giving me the gift of more opportunities to see His faithful hand, to see that He will continue to give new strength, that we won’t faint as we continue to make the choice to trust Him. He will keep us even in our exhaustion. He will continue to supply what is needed for the journey He has us on.