A bridge to a Cross

I have seen quotes circulating over he social media landscape, this is one of the favoured. "You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice." This quote has been attributed to the world famous Jamaican  reggae singer/songwriter, Bob Marley, who's album Exodus was named the Best album of the 20th century by Time Magazine in 1999. I'm a Jamaican. I love my island and I love me some Bob Marley but...

'Strong is never your only choice'; for there is always weak.

Strength is not the only choice anyone ever has
There is always weakness
The world says, if you choose weakness
You are copping out
Refusing to fight,
Giving up,
Not living it up
But
I do not agree
It is in weakness that one gets free

See
I've been strong
All my life
I've been fighting,
Been smiling
Been moving
Been going
Being strong- for so very long
And

I'm tired
Just plain ole tired
I can't fight no more
I don't want to smile no more
Moving, yet going in circles
Being strong has served me long

Now I just want to be weak
In myself - strength - I do not want to seek.
I choose weak
I choose a safe place to fall
I'm giving up on that which I believed---
That, I had it all

See
The world says in weak you should never abide
In weak you should never try to hide
Weak- makes you vulnerable
Weak makes you cry
Weak make others uncomfortable
Weak is not profitable

BUT

What if
Weakness was actually your strength?
For who reinforces a bridge that is deemed strong?
Isn't it a stronghold that takes capture of your life all the day long?
The strong doesn't need help to fight

What if
You let you let your weakness show?
Do you think it might give you a chance to grow?
To be held up?
Reinforced?
Rejuvinated?
Refereshed?
Renewed?
Will you be made perfect in your weakness?

No
I'm done with strong
I'll choose weak all the day long

I'm going against what he says, she says, they say
I'll play the fool and choose weak
'Cause strength has served me long,
But
It hasn't really made me...
Strong.

2 Corinthians 12 : 7-10
 7Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 

The apostle Paul, was serving the Lord, giving his all, willing to risk death, he was all in but he had a problem. A thorn in his flesh. A weak spot. If left unchecked, thorns in sides, like rusty steel pins in bridges, can cause total collapse. But, what to do? Well most of us try to be strong, try to solve that issue, try to cope with losses ourselves, try to try to- cold turkey; only to keep- well- failing in our own strength. Paul sought the Lord about his problem- thrice.

Now, I'm no theologian, but when I read that it was after the third time in prayer about this issue, that Paul got his answer from God. Three like the third day Jesus was risen from the dead signifies completeness- and that was the end of that! The thing is Paul's issue didn't leave him on that third time, but he now understood just how to deal with it. By being weak in the Lord, that is how you fortify a bridge. That is how you are strengthened. That is how you become strong.

10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.