When I Am Weak

By Bethany Slom

Are you struggling with finding your inner strength while others around you preach the importance of self-empowerment? You’ve read all the self-help books, you’ve worked really hard to do better and to live your best life, but somehow you keep failing? Whether it’s personal weakness in falling short or weakness in mourning a tragedy, we all struggle with weakness in our lives, but it is not up to us to find our own strength.

When I Am Weak is a book about finding strength in Christ despite our weaknesses. It is designed to change our perspective from self-empowerment to God-empowerment, in which we no longer need to rely on ourselves for strength when Christ freely gives it. In this book, I will share parts of my story, my weaknesses, my hardships, and God’s strength through it all, in hopes that you will see how truly amazing our God is. I pray that through reading this book, you will discover the freedom that comes from complete surrender to Christ, the strength that comes from living through Christ, and the joy that comes from seeking him first. So when you look at your life, you can confidently say “when I am weak, he is strong!”

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973663898

Bethany Slom

Bethany Slom was born in July of 1992, she grew up in the Pacific Northwest and currently lives in Fairview, Oregon. She was raised in a Christian home and has been involved in church ministry her whole life. She is currently married to her wonderful husband Joe and together they are foster parents of two young boys, one adopted and the other in the adoption process. Bethany has a heart’s desire to make a difference in the world, she believes God has called her to write and is following her calling.

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Copyright © 2019 Bethany Slom.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6388-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6390-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6389-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019907109

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/10/2019

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1     Seek Ye First

Chapter 2     Listen

Chapter 3     When I am WEAK

Chapter 4     He is STRONG

Chapter 5     Identity in Christ

Chapter 6     Longing

Chapter 7     Total Surrender

Chapter 8     Heart change

Chapter 9     Follow Through

Chapter 10   Perfect Peace

Chapter 11   Emotional Downfall

Chapter 12   Freedom

INTRODUCTION

I was 18 and fresh out of high school when I married my best friend. I had prayed about this decision over and over again and knew this is exactly where I was supposed to be. My husband and I were both young and in love, but we also knew this was a big part of God’s plan for our lives.

Two weeks after our wedding I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. We both sat in what seemed like a tiny doctor’s office as the endocrinologist explained how our lives would drastically change because of this disease. I don’t remember all the details of our horrid conversation, but the few things I do remember, haunt me to this day. Things like:

• If you don’t get your diabetes under control; your life span will be about half of what it should be.

• Type 1 diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. Along with more serious risks like; heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, nerve disease, foot problems, gum disease, skin infections, Alzheimer’s, to only name a few.

• Having a baby is HIGH RISK.

We both left that doctor’s office feeling defeated. Only to go to the hospital where I would stay for a week getting tested, poked and educated on this disease. My family and friends cried and prayed for me, but I never did.

I didn’t cry. I never mourned my situation. I just took it all in and thought there’s nothing I can do but deal with it. I never prayed either. Not once in that hospital, did I cry out to God, and I still have yet to figure out why.

I was a preacher’s kid, I grew up in church, I believed Jesus was my Lord and Savior, I trusted God with my whole heart, but for some reason, I couldn’t give this to him. I wasn’t willing to rely on God to be my strength in devastating weakness, I’d rather just deal with it myself. But why? I was more than willing to pray about life-changing decisions like marriage and career choices. But when it came to pain, when it came to weakness; I felt like it was my battle to fight––alone.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Joseph in the Bible. If you’ve never read it, I encourage you to do so. The story is found in Genesis chapters 37 – 40. I think what I love most about Joseph’s story, is despite all the bad things that happened to him; his brothers betraying him, selling him as a slave, his boss throwing him in prison; he still has a happy ending. In Genesis 39:2-4 it says, The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Joseph didn’t have a happy ending because he was strong. Joseph had a happy ending because God is strong. The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in everything he did despite the hardships. God took the broken pieces of Joseph’s life and made something beautiful. And Joseph trusted God through it all.

The Bible doesn’t explicitly state that Joseph prayed, but it does state that the Lord was with him; to which I believe is an indication that Joseph was in constant communication with God. God desires to be a part of our lives; our hurts, our struggles, and even our successes, but he isn’t going to force his way in. We must choose to let him in, and I truly believe that is exactly what Joseph did. The Lord was with Joseph because Joseph was with the Lord.

Apostle Paul talks about this in Philippians chapter 4, which states;

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:12-13

Finding contentment and strength in our lives comes when we live through Christ! God has the power to give us the strength we don’t possess on our own, but just knowing that isn’t enough. We need to be in constant communication with God, including him in our everyday lives, so that we may be doing our everyday things through him.

Let me give you an example of finding strength through Christ. If at that moment I found out I had type 1 diabetes, I decided to pray––not even out loud but maybe just in my head––if I prayed; God, I don’t know what to do with this information but give me the strength to face this, I would be including God in that experience and would be literally living through him in that moment. God is all-knowing, but there is power in prayer; power in the strength that comes from God, and power in including God in our everyday moments. God may not always fix the problem, but he will give us the strength to face it!

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.-2 Corinthians 12:10 (NIV)

We don’t have to face our weaknesses alone, in fact, God doesn’t want us to face them alone. But we can pray; asking God for help, surrendering our control. Then step back and watch God do amazing things in our lives!

In this book, I will share parts of my story. My weaknesses, my hardships, and God’s strength through it all; in hopes that you will see how truly amazing our God is! I pray through reading this book you will discover; the freedom that comes from complete surrender to Christ, the strength that comes from living through Christ, and the joy that comes from seeking him first. So, when you look at your life you can confidently say––when I am weak, he is strong!

CHAPTER 1

Seek Ye First

I once had a dear friend ask me if I would ever consider becoming a foster parent. She and her husband had just recently started this process. Without hesitation, I said no. I explained to her that I just don’t think I could handle the heartbreak of getting attached to children just to have them returned to their biological families. This initial thought may have been true in the context of pursuing foster care alone, but God has the power to do so much more in our lives when we depend on him rather than just ourselves. His power is literally made perfect in our weakness. In that moment I thought I knew what I could and could not handle. Little did I know God’s plan for my life––his strength would become my own.

My husband and I felt like God was calling us to adopt. We both had the heart and desire for it but were unsure what God’s timeline looked like. My husband was willing to start the process toward adoption right away but wasn’t sure what that process may look like. I, on the other hand, was hesitant to start the journey into adoption right away as I had my own plan in mind. I remember thinking it would be better to have a biological child first and then adopt. But when I started to seek God in prayer about this plan, my eyes were open to something totally different.

About a year later, I was cleaning the kitchen for a family I nannied for while the kids were taking their afternoon nap. I loved my job, mostly because it involved younger kids, but also because I knew it was preparing me for the day when I myself would be a mom. As I thought about my job that day, I thought about how I really loved these kids: how I take care of them five days a week pouring my love and