Life has a way of teaching us lessons we never signed up for. If you had told me years ago that I would find strength in weakness, I probably would have nodded politely and moved on. But now, standing in the reality of my daughter Marley’s rare disease, I see this truth more clearly than ever.

Yesterday, in our Sunday sermon, I was reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:10:

Paul had discovered something that turns the world’s understanding of strength upside down—real strength doesn’t come from having it all together. It comes when we let go, when we surrender, when we stop trying to hold everything in our own hands and place it in God's.

I listened to Darin Sargent’s message about embracing our weakness, and it resonated so deeply. You can watch the sermon here, but the heart of it was this: when we allow ourselves to be weak, God steps in and does what only He can do.

I’ll be honest—this lesson isn’t easy. It’s one thing to read Paul’s words, but it’s another to live them when you’re watching your child battle a condition so rare that there are barely any answers. Strength, in my old understanding, looked like being unshakable, like carrying every burden with a smile and moving forward no matter what.

But God has been showing me something different. True strength isn’t found in gritting my teeth and pushing through—it’s found in falling to my knees and saying, "Lord, I can’t do this without You."

And every time I do that, He meets me there.

Something incredible happens when we stop trying to be “strong” in the way the world defines it. The moment I become vulnerable—when I let the tears come, when I share my fears, when I admit that I don’t have all the answers—God shines brighter. He brings people, prayers, peace, and unexpected moments of joy.

He takes what feels broken and turns it into something beautiful.

Marley’s journey hasn’t been easy, and there are still days when the weight of it feels too heavy. But I’m learning, little by little, that this weakness I often want to resist is actually a gift. It’s the very thing that allows me to experience God’s strength in ways I never would have otherwise.

If you’re walking through something that feels too big for you, know this: You don’t have to be strong all the time. It’s okay to be weak. In fact, it’s in that very weakness that God will step in and show you just how strong He is.

Thank you for walking this journey with us. Thank you for the amazing donations that have come in. Thank you for the shares and kind words. We are overwhelmed in complete gratitude. 

If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear how God has shown up in your weakness. Drop a comment—I’d love to pray with you.

With love and faith,
Kayla & Jonathan