Even the strong have moments of shattering weakness. Those are the moments when listening ears and understanding hearts, soft voices and sympathetic responses are required. Each of us at some time should experience the taste of weakness.
On one occasion both David and I found our capacities drained. Simply overworked, we were in an unstated race as to who would go over the edge first. Committed to tasks beyond our strength, we kept looking for the Lord to provide the needed energy. He did. He allowed me to slip over the precipice into the chasm. It wasn’t a tearing, crashing, screaming sort of fall; just a slipping from hand-hold to hand-hold with bits of dislodged earth crumbling down with my own descent. An abutment kept me from breaking on the floor of the canyon’s bottom. And, I rested there for a while—about six months—feeling bruised and shaken and slightly ashamed I had walked so foolhardily on the cliff.
For weeks I had gone to bed each night aching with physical tiredness. A demanding counseling load, daily household management, concern over David’s exhaustion, overdue writing commitments—all seemed to require everything I had to give. One afternoon I lunched with a friend. Then, I hurried on to shop for some baby gifts. I kept experiencing short, blank pauses in the bargain basement of Marshall Field’s when I couldn’t remember where I was or what I was doing there. I had a terrible impression that if I stayed longer, I wouldn’t be able to remember who I was, either. It was time to quit.
Leaving without buying a thing, I caught public transportation, dragged myself home, and announced, “I need three things: I need rest. I need quiet. I need to be taken care of.” David called a doctor from the church, and her husband who is a psychological counselor. They came, diagnosed a stress reaction, and I went to bed.
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Award-winning author Karen Mains continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.
Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.
Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.
For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.
Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
