Wet Paper… Hello to my Hump Day readers. I hope this midweek devotion gives you strength and an uplift for your emotions. My reason for those words comes from my emotions which, in the past few weeks have been more up and down than I could have ever imagined. We all go through it, and I can’t imagine the thousands of people who have been in the path of two huge hurricanes are wrestling with it, or the Palestinians and Lebanese, trying to find stability and the strength they need for what lies ahead.

The other day I left my scissors up in the campground booth. I needed it down at our site because I had to cut some paper so I was mad at myself for leaving it there! I checked in with Ms. Google; she had some remedies and one was something I had a done a long time ago as a kid. My 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Nicholson, showed us in class how to cut paper when you don’t have scissors: you fold the paper with a good crease, then you wet the crease—and only the crease. Then you can pull the ends and the paper will tear perfectly (maybe) on the fold. She told us that when paper gets damp it weakens, if you pull it, it will give way at its weakest point which is the crease. I dumped Ms. Google and took Mrs. Nicholson—it worked!

Wet paper and me had something in common—it was kind of what my emotions were going through. Our hearts and our spiritual lives are no different. My soul felt sad, and when that happens, like the wet paper, we too find ourselves in a weakened state. Joys come and go. Hurts and fears take their place. That’s when we need to be strengthened in body, soul, mind and heart—but, we cannot do this by ourselves. Many people think they can, but the outcome is mostly right back to the situation you are already in—wet paper!

The Apostle Paul lived a life with hurts, weakness and emotional upheavals. I’ve used the words from 2 Corinthians many times. Yet, I easily forget about them when I am in a situation that makes me feel like wet paper! I’m going to ‘do it my way’—which never works. I tell myself go back and read Corinthians again—that’s what Paul has for me and all people. So, hear it is, Verses 6 to 12, from the colorful Message translation bible:

“If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. Because of the extravagance of those revelations [from Christ] and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then He told me:

MY GRACE IS ENOUGH; IT’S ALL YOU NEED. MY STRENGTH COMES INTO ITS OWN IN YOUR WEAKNESS.

 Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size, abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”

Friends, we all have old hurts that haven’t healed; past betrayals not forgiven, vices we struggle to overcome, and those places of doubt and insecurity that make us vulnerable and susceptible to the tearing of wet paper. There is only one way to turn and that is to our loving Jesus. There we find His strength so we can put weakness into action. We have grace that knits our gaps of body, soul, mind and heart. Please always remember: no matter the push, pull, tug or tears, we remain securely in the embrace of our Savior—24/7. AMEN!