I have to be honest with you. There are times I want to rip my hair out because of the sheer, overwhelming frustration I feel at my own weaknesses.

Let me back up.

I have an autoimmune disease called Celiac Disease. You might be thinking, “Oh, that’s that ‘gluten allergy’ disease, right?”

And you’d be correct.

You may also be thinking, “Well, you just have to eat gluten-free foods, and then it’s all fine, right?”

And…you’d be kinda correct.

Yes, eating gluten-free prevents me from experiencing stomach pains, intestinal damage, and more—but that’s not the whole story.

Because many aspects of Celiac are invisible; they aren’t physical, but I feel their impact every single day.

The biggest impact is something many Celiacs call Brain Fog.

You might be thinking, “Brain fog? That’s not a big deal.” Everyone experiences brain fog now and then—stress, lack of sleep, juggling too much at once (#parentlife, anyone?). 

But Celiac brain fog is like brain fog on steroids.

My memory is…terrible. Embarrassingly so. Let me give you an example so you can see what I mean.

Unless I’ve interacted with someone quite a few times, I often can’t remember their name. No, I don’t mean once or twice. I mean three…five…ten times. Sometimes I can’t even remember their face.

I’ll share something even more embarrassing.At times, I’ve spent years with someone in a shared activity—classmates, coworkers, you name it—and if I see them ten years later, it’s like I’ve never known them at all. As I try to wade through the cobwebs of my mind, I simply cannot come up with who they are and how they know me.

Do you know how insensitive you appear when you can’t even remember someone after years together? You look self-centered, egotistical, even outright mean.

On more than one occasion, I have had someone come up to me and ask me personal, pointed questions like: 

How are your kids? (And name them by name.)

How’s the writing going? 

How is Brandon (my husband) doing–is he still working in education? 

Meanwhile, inwardly, I panic. I have no reciprocal questions to ask because my mind cannot remember who they are.

Honestly, I’m mortified just typing this. Oh how I wish I didn’t struggle in this way. It makes me feel helpless, if I’m being completely transparent. 

Helpless and weak. 

It also just makes me want to cry. I love people. I long for them to feel seen. Yet I can’t seem to make my way through the all-consuming fog to grasp who they are so I can encourage them in a personal manner.

There are so many days I’ve questioned why the Lord called me to the work He did. He knows my extreme weaknesses. He knows that in my line of work—especially when I have speaking engagements—it’s all about relationships. Relationships, relationships, relationships.

People want to be seen, loved, recognized.

So why would He call me to a field where remembering faces and names is so critical when He knows I can’t?

I guess where I am leading you is to this question: 

What do we do when our weaknesses overwhelm us, but we want to still choose obedience to Christ’s call on our lives?

This answer is going to be infuriatingly simple and surprisingly difficult all in one fell swoop: we have to rely on Christ to fill in my gaps.

Over time, I have had to realize that God isn’t waiting for my strength; He’s offering His. 

Many times in the midst of a conversation with someone, He will suddenly open the fog just for a second so I can grasp at a small previously-forgotten detail, and thus meaningfully contribute to the conversation.

Other times, He will simply cause the other person to have grace with me. Even without me admitting my weakness, I can feel kindness pouring off of them when I don’t ask the questions I wish I could.

He has truly shown Himself strong where I am weak.

But it’s more than that, too. Perhaps He hasn’t removed this “thorn in my flesh” because He is bringing fruit from it. 

Perhaps He is giving me opportunities to display my weaknesses so others can see that God can use anyone—flaws and all.

Said differently: our limitations aren’t disqualifications; they’re invitations into His power.

I know, I know, this needs so much more explanation…and some biblical backing, too. Which is why–instead of putting it all here–I’ve prepared a special surprise: I’ve created a FREE mini e-book, plus a bonus 7-day prayer journey—all about how our true spiritual health lies in our weakness. 

Because despite our weaknesses, we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible. 

Til Next Time,

Liz

P.S. Do you have a friend who you know is struggling with their weaknesses? Feel free to forward this email to them. The resource is completely free for anyone who needs it! 

P.S.S. As a bonus this week, I wanted to share an incredible resource with you. I recently became acquainted with a man named Josh Summers, and his story is powerful.

In April of 2018, while living in China, Josh was suddenly detained by Chinese police. Unbeknownst to him, they had been surveilling him for years, suspecting he was a spy. One ordinary day, he was taken from his apartment without warning—no chance to contact his wife or children. He simply…disappeared.

He spent 17 grueling days in custody, undergoing intense interrogation. And it was in that darkness that he realized something life-changing:

They could take his passport.
They could take his freedom.
They could take his ability to be a husband and a father.
They could take every device, every possession.

But they could not take his hope in Christ.
And they could not take what he had hidden in his mind.

After his release and departure from the country, Josh committed himself to memorizing as much Scripture as he possibly could. Today, he teaches others how to memorize huge portions of God’s Word using mental tools and memory maps that actually work.

If you want to lock more of God’s Word into your heart—and keep it there—you’ll want to check out his book. It’s worth your time.

https://tinyurl.com/memorizewhatmatters