When all the storms in my life left me so weak that I could barely stand, I finally lifted my eyes to heaven, and Jesus lifted me. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I found the greatest freedom in laying all my hurts, failures and disappointments before the Lord. They had been too much for me to handle, but they certainly weren t too big for God. A friend in YSC once told me something about how shepherds tend their sheep.
Some sheep have a higher tendency than others to wander away from the flock and get lost.
In the case of such a sheep, the shepherd first breaks one of its legs to discourage it from straying. If it continues to stray, the shepherd breaks one more leg, then another, until all four of its legs are broken, at which point the shepherd picks up the sheep and carries it on his shoulders. All four of my legs had to break before I decided to humble myself and let the Lord carry me. It was very painful, but out of that pain came the most wonderful experiences of God s great joy and peace, which truly transcend all affliction. Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed.