He Gives Strength to the Weary

God’s Word is filled with rich promises for His children. How do these “precious and very great promises” inform and direct your grief? How does keeping your eyes fixed on these truths anchor your hope in the Lord? In this series, we write about how God, through the promises in His Word, comforts and strengthens us in our sorrow.

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Confession time—the Bible I use is still my Student Bible from high school. I’m three years shy of forty, and I still haven’t graduated to the adult Bible. But don’t worry. It’s in great shape because of my nifty Bible cover that displays the “Footprints in the Sand” poem. You 90’s girls know what I’m talking about. Maybe you had that Bible cover too, or perhaps you had the poster up in your Sunday school room at church.

This poem talks about a man who looks back on his life in a dream and sees two sets of footprints during his life’s journey. They belong to God and himself. However, the man notices that during the hardest times of his life there was only one set of footprints. The man questions God about this. He can’t understand why God would leave him during his most difficult trials. God replies, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you. . . When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

My 14-year-old self loved that poem, but it wasn’t until 29, when I was pregnant with Kinley, that I fully experienced the truth of those words. God carried me. When I couldn’t move forward on my own—when I didn’t have the strength to keep going—He carried me.

When I was 20 weeks pregnant, we found out there was a problem with Kinley’s brain, hands, and feet. The next several weeks were filled with multiple doctor appointments, ultrasounds, inconclusive results, lots of tears, and so many fears for the future. During this time, I joined a Bible study that was covering the book of Isaiah. God used this study to walk me through our journey with Kinley. So many verses spoke directly to our situation:

“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come.’”
Isaiah 35:3-4

and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.”
Isaiah 40:11

    and increases the power of the weak.”
Isaiah 40:29

God used these verses to remind me of His presence, His care, and His faithfulness. Kinley’s future was uncertain at this point, but God’s character was steadfast. He was shepherding our family through the unknown and into deeper reliance on Him.

We had six weeks with Kinley after her birth before God took her home. Those weeks were hard, but we were able to hold our little girl. And all the while, God was constantly holding us. After Kinley passed away, a sweet friend (who had also lost her baby girl) said to me, “God will redeem Kinley’s life.” It was a statement that stuck with me and that I sought for years to understand.

Then one day, I was re-reading these Isaiah passages and noticed the title for chapter 35: “Joy of the Redeemed.” It finally hit me. My daughter has been redeemed. Her broken body and brain are completely healed. The chapter goes on to talk about the way of holiness:

“But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Isaiah 35:9-10

Kinley is in the presence of the Almighty. She experiences the joy of the redeemed every day. Kinley has been redeemed from death and brought into eternal life with our Father.

Last week was the eight year anniversary of Kinley’s heaven day. I saw this quote by Elisabeth Elliot that was such a sweet reminder to me: “Of one thing I am perfectly sure: God’s story never ends in ashes.”

Can I get an “Amen?” Death has not won. That wasn’t the end for Kinley. That wasn’t the end for me, even though it felt like my world was crumbling. Because of what Christ did on the cross, death has been conquered and victory claimed.

“But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to Himself.”
Psalm 49:15

Grieving the loss of a child is a journey. Some days are really hard. But here’s the good news: we don’t have to rely on our own strength because God carries us through His strength. On my own, I’m a complete mess. I break down and cry. I get completely overwhelmed and weary. I can’t see a way out of my sadness. But with God, He takes my mess and makes a masterpiece. God dries my tears, picks me up, and leads me through life’s hills and valleys.

When our family goes for walks, my youngest child often gets tired of walking before we have reached home. Her little legs have reached their max, and she is ready to call it quits. Not once have I ever said to her, “Well, you’ll just have to stop here. The rest of us will continue on without you. We have more strength than you, so we will complete our journey home while you stay here on the road alone.” What kind of parent would I be if I just abandoned my child when she had grown weary? Instead, I pick her up, and we finish our walk home with her little legs wrapped around my waist.

This is the same image I have of me with my heavenly Father. On life’s journey, I get tired, worn down, and I just can’t go another step. During those times, He raises me up in His arms and keeps walking for me. As I rest in Him, we move forward together. God doesn’t leave me alone on the road, but carries me home.

Sweet sister, He will carry you too. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” God does not want you to rely on your own strength but to rest in His. I know your heart is heavy. I know you may feel like collapsing on the road and not getting up. But raise those arms. Tilt that chin up. And let your Daddy carry you. God will walk you through this valley into the joy of the redeemed.

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Stephanie Blanks is married to Matt and has four children: Lyston (9), Kinley (who went home to Jesus in 2011), Levi (6), and Leighton (4). Stephanie works at the Chamber of Commerce in her small town of Hondo, TX. She enjoys singing in her church praise band, running, reading, and spending time with her family at the lake. You can read more from Stephanie on her blog.

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