May 07, 2018

The Blessing of Frailty - Kimberly Dawn Rempel



In the empty church foyer on a weekday, a young woman helps a young man hobble to the reception desk.

His young frame is frail and moves slowly and awkwardly with the aid of a cane and the young woman’s supportive arm. She holds him with every step.

Slowly. Slowly, make their way across the lobby.

I can’t stop staring at the beauty of it.

It’s a beauty reveals itself in her patience. She does not hurry him, or even look around the room to gauge what others might think. She walks slowly and steadily beside him, adjusting her speed to his, adjusting herself to suit his needs. She gives.

The beauty is also in him. He moves steadily forward, completely dependent on the cane and his friend. He accepts this assistance, and moves forward. His frailty and need does not keep him at home, angry and alone. He has bravely humbled himself and accepted his limits. He does not pull away or try to resist or run ahead. He humbly accepts help.  

Both of them, I realized, had to humble themselves, each giving up their desires for something different, each accepting what is. This beauty belongs to God – their humility and acceptance and their journey together is a beautiful example of love, and I thank the Lord for the privilege of witnessing it that morning.

As they moved on and I was left with my own thoughts, I saw me and God in that arrangement. He patiently helps me in my frailty, not looking around the room or racing ahead. He stays with me, helping me in my weakness. When I refuse the help, or try to run ahead on my own, I get hurt and fall down. When I humble myself though, and accept my frailty, humbly resting on His strength, we move ahead together slowly, slowly, and steadily.

Thank you God, for loving us tenderly and faithfully.

And thank you, even for the frailty that reveals my need of you, and that teaches me to walk in your ways. Thank you for my need that draws me deeper into relationship with and dependence on you.






Kimberly Dawn Rempel helps authors market their books and expand their reach online through 1:1 coaching, editing, and book marketing.  Click here to Download her free guide, 14 Ways to Leverage Your Book  or join her Facebook Group, Marketing-Savvy Authorpreneurs HERE.

9 comments:

  1. There is indeed a beauty in humility. It is certainly a stark contrast to the ugliness of pride. Thanks for sharing the beauty of this moment and its impact on you, Kimberly.

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    1. Thanks Susan. You're right about the ugliness of pride.

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    1. Thank you for your post Kimberly. You reminded me of experiences in my life with people with "disabilities." I surrounded the word disabilities because it is not an us and them term. We are all broken in some way. I think people like the gentleman you write is a teacher. Perhaps that is what was also noted as you observed. The young woman and gentleman at least stirred your heart and mind. You sensed your own frailty before God and the depth of His love. Thank Kimberly. You stirred me as well.

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  3. Lovely picture of our relationship with Jesus.

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  4. Beautiful. Thank you, dear Kimberly, for reminding us to "accept what is" because He walks with us through all of it.
    Blessings ~ Wendy

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  5. Our instinct is to hide our neediness. Yet when we have no choice but to be on display with our weakness, we can learn to thank God "even for the frailty that reveals my need" and allow His work through others to influence our lives. This is a good picture of God's love.

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