But God’s grace is sufficient

2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Do you ever have days that seem just too much to cope with?

Wednesday our flight from Newark to Pittsburgh, coming home exhausted from an amazing week in Colombia, was delayed by two hours. It so happened therefore that as our plane was landing, Luciene, my Schalm grandchildren Caleb and Talita’s other grandmother, was running up the steps of Valerie and Cesar’s home here in Pittsburgh to reconnect with a Zoom call which had been interrupted by an urgent message for her husband. Luciene tripped on the steps and broke her ankle, completely doubling her foot backward. The pain was horrific. Five-year-old Caleb commented to me yesterday several times that his Vovó was crying.

Opa and Vovó in Pittsburgh!! Such joy for Caleb and Talita and all of us

So, as we drove home from the airport, my son-in-law Cesar Jr. and his dad were transporting Luciene first to urgent care and then, after x-rays, to the hospital ER. Even with massive morphine directly into her ankle, the pain of having her bones repositioned was intolerable. She was hospitalized, scheduled for surgery the next day (at the same hospital where our daughter Valerie was working).

However, Lu’s ankle was too swollen to operate yesterday, so Lu was sent home to bedrest for a week, in the hope of operating Thursday next week, to install metal plates and screws to support her ankle as it heals.

At the time Cesar Jr. was transporting Lu back to their house from the hospital yesterday and Cesar Sr. headed to our house to pick up Caleb and Talita, I was on an Instagram Live in Portuguese talking about Karis’s zest for life despite her pain and weaknesses, citing her life verse, this one (above) from 2 Corinthians. Lu herself, from the car going home from the hospital, coached me through connecting with the Live since I was having trouble getting on—turns out Instagram looks different in Brazil than here, so Ilaene’s instructions weren’t helping me. Huge panic that I might not figure it out in time! (If anyone reading this speaks Portuguese and wants to join Ilaene and me on next week’s Live, it will be 8:00 pm Brasília time/7:00 pm Eastern time on Instagram at Igrejas Discipuladoras. You can also watch last night’s Live there.)

There was so much emotion involved with all of this that I have no idea whether I said anything coherent or helpful to anyone on the Live. I’m still trying to find emotional equilibrium, devastated that this has happened to Luciene. Maybe that’s why I’m dumping it on you.

But one thing is vivid: the reality of God’s grace, PRESENT in our challenges and weaknesses and limitations and pain. Offered generously by our Lord to me and to you, today. Please pray with us for Lu as she faces (I almost wrote “walks through,” exactly what she can’t do!)–as she deals with some very tough days ahead. May God’s power resting on her be palpable.

At challenging times like this, I find worship in Portuguese reaches my heart more than English. “Tua Graça Me Basta” means Your Grace Is Sufficient. You can soak in the beauty even if you can’t understand the words. If you enjoy this, you can listen to more of Rachel Novaes here.

And here’s another beautiful song giving me comfort right now (in English this time).