Christian Chat

@ENKELI Geez, some people are just plain nasty! I don't know how they can live with themselves but they seem to without a problem! It ticks me off and that's being very polite! 🤨

@heartathome @ENKELI @SunsetSunrise @Appleblossom @Realness

i awoke some anger as well as anxiety remembering all the times i wrote about in an email i wrote to my wife last night.

For although she has told why she did what she did after 12 weeks of silence on top of 21+ years of her refusal to speak about her withdrawal within our relationship over the years. And how she wont take co-responsibility how much this has confused, hurt and effected me. How it never matter to her how her continued silence and my confusion the voices in my head lying about her sending me mixed signals her emotions to me every day all these years, had how this had effected us negatively all these years her doing that and always been the main reason me chasing her when unwell and hurting her silence had become too much fro me to cope with.

Where her hiding her diminishing connections between us had confused, hurt and upset me so badly and had been her issues not just mine. How she had known about my confusion and hurt all these years her continued silence, and how her doing that had greatly co-contributed to the issues my illness caused us all these years.

i hope to go spend some time with my Down Syndrome daughter i have not seen her for 14 days and miss her badly.

Blessings.

I hope you get to see your daughter today and enjoy your time together! 💚

@DownMoreThanUp

Saw our daughter this morning. Had arranged with my wife to just let our daughter come outside when i arrived so i would not need to see her. i explained how much trouble i had regulating without her and rather not confuse myself again with her. Not because i was angry but because i loved her and it had been really hard breaking away from her. She understood and did not take offence. i picked up our girl and all went well doing that.

However a little away towards our destination red light came on. Car was overheating. i had not checked anything, only just bought the car a few weeks after my wife left me. So no choice but to turn around and go back our daughter's place and get some water.

Anyhow come back. Lift the hood could not find radiator cap. i had forgotten my phone i had no idea how to put water in the radiator. So i was forced to ask my wife for help. She came outside and was scanning the web on her phone from me looking where it could be. i while i lost it at the car manufacturers hiding that bloody radiator cap, desperately trying to find the stupid thing. Stressing badly her there.

Instantly feeing the old sensation of my wife's displeasure come down upon me her standing next to me. When she had first come outside before i had felt a little her insecurity but overall her beautiful open peaceful spirit, that had been hard enough. However we worked it out after some time.

Our girl was great and she had a milkshake and chips and me a coffee. And then of the shop a little shopping for the Weekend for me. And then of to the harbour for a walk on the pier.

We were almost at the end of the pier - about 200-250 meters when the first waves of anxiety came rapidly increasing into the familiar stress pattern. i walked us back quickly with our daughter happily looking around. It had been good to see her so happy and relaxed. She sure looked well and had been very excited to see me. Then the nausea hit hard just before we got to the car. i told our girl i best take her home.

Driving to her place the anxiety pressed harder and harder. i found myself becoming insecure looking in the mirrors constantly. Yet when i noticed myself doing that i let the anxiety be and focused on getting our girl home.

One of our grandson son's was visiting my wife, i saw driving up her place. Our daughter sawe it too and as she hopped out happily called out to our grandson. The envy struck hard how my wife with the kids behind her, had also automatically gained all the grand kids, while was ignored the bad guy who made her unhappy and she had to get away from - seeing no one. Only 5 months ago they all loved me. Very hard moments.

So i quickly took off back home. Struggling to regulate my mind. Yet within minutes the nausea became pressing very hard as well as very severe paranoia bouts came down pouring on me.

I drove home fighting not to go be overwhelmed by the paranoia. Nausea hitting hard time and again - it felt almost impossible to drive - but i did not dare stopping either. i knew this was not good. Yet i was far to paranoid to dare and stop - i knew i had to get home and fast.

Struggling not to put my foot flat on the floor to get there faster. i knew it was still 20 minutes down the road to get back home. The trip was gruelling but i made it. While driving i remembered struggling 35 years ago in the same fashion. Then i used to drive home in this state when i had overdone it at work - which happened often. Not at all understanding why i go like that apart of i overdid it. i also remembered how happy i was then still and secure in the love of my family.The trip back i felt very ill, terribly anxious and deep inner grief at the loss i had suffered over the years as well as the years of torment that had proceeded it.

It turned out ot be a very hard day for me

Please know you are not alone @DownMoreThanUp

Hearing you

Thinking of you all @DownMoreThanUp @heartathome @ENKELI @Appleblossom

Thank you for sharing @heartathome "The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom" KJV. Yes, "Fear" is more reverence and honour?

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@Realness wrote:

I loved your post about God not removing Paul's thorn in the flesh , @tyme .

I also wonder why God has chosen this path for me.

Another verse I hold on to is Romans 8:28 ... all things work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

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Your path has been chosen so He may be glorified.

I just Jesus Christ could've also asked God why he gave Him the bitter cup. @Realness

May God be exalted 🙂

@DownMoreThanUp I am so sorry that your day was so hard. I know you were looking forward to seeing your daughter.

It's interesting how one parent always loses out in situations like this. My dad didn't care enough to worry about us moving from Canberra to Geraldton, we were out of sight, out of mind.

I hope you're beginning to feel better now that you're home. I am also grateful you made it home safely.
Praying heaps for you xo

2 Corinthians 12:9 (ICB)

“But the Lord said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you.’ So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me.”

Who is speaking, and to whom?

This verse is part of a letter written by Paul the Apostle to the Christians in Corinth.

In the passage just before this, Paul explains that he had a "thorn in the flesh" — some ongoing suffering, weakness, or hardship — and he asked the Lord three times to take it away. The Lord answered him with these words instead of removing the struggle.

So in this verse:

Jesus/the Lord is speaking

Paul is listening

Paul then shares the conversation with the church in Corinth

Biblical Summary

The heart of this verse is that God's grace is not dependent on our strength.

Paul wanted relief from his suffering, but God's answer was that His grace would sustain him through it. Rather than God's power being shown most clearly when we are strong and self-sufficient, it is often revealed most clearly when we recognize our need for Him.

Paul's response is surprising: instead of hiding his weaknesses, he says he will boast in them because they become places where Christ's power can be seen at work.

In simple terms:

God's strength is often most visible in the places where human strength runs out.

A Few Important Greek Words

Grace — (charis)

God's undeserved favour, kindness, and gift.

Not something earned, but freely given.

Power — (dynamis)

Strength, mighty power, ability.

The same word often used for God's miraculous power.

Weakness — (astheneia)

Weakness, frailty, limitation, inability.

Can refer to physical, emotional, or spiritual weakness.

Made perfect — (teleitai)

Brought to completion.

Fully accomplished.

Reaches its intended purpose.

The phrase "My power is made perfect in weakness" carries the idea that God's power reaches its fullest expression when human weakness is acknowledged rather than hidden.

A Reflection

For many people, this verse is comforting because it doesn't say:

"Become stronger and then God will help you."

Instead it says:

"Even in weakness, My grace is enough for you."

@tyme @ENKELI @DownMoreThanUp @Appleblossom @Realness