Shouts of GraceVoorbeeld

Grace for Strength

This past October (2023), I had my first triathlon experience. The idea of competing in a triathlon had been a goal of mine for years. A dear friend of mine encouraged me to sign up so I figured, “Why not? I’m not getting any younger.”

I knew this would be quite the challenge since I wasn’t a strong swimmer and had a healthy respect for the ocean. By respect, I mean fear. I trained steadily for four months, but then life suddenly became overwhelmingly busy for me, so much so that I had to place my training “on hold.” That hold went from days, to weeks, to me eventually making the decision to drop out. It was a difficult decision as I felt like I let both my friend and myself down.

With a week to go before the big race, my wonderful and encouraging friend reached out to me and said, "I think you could do it!” I thought to myself, “There is no way!” I hadn’t been training for the past six months. As I sought the Lord through prayer, I just couldn’t kick the desire to finish what we had started. With days before the race, I challenged myself to complete a “trial run.” To my surprise I did it, completely out of breath and much slower on my time, but I did it. The only thing that was missing was that I had yet to train in the ocean. Scared, intimidated, excited, yet nervous all at the same time, I gave my friend my “yes.”

As I stood that morning looking out at the vast ocean, everything in me started to doubt myself. I wanted to give up. But my resolve was bigger than my fear. I took one look around and couldn’t help but get emotional. To my right was my friend who didn’t let me give up on my dream, and in the crowd were my family and friends who believed in me.

Quietly I sought God and asked Him for His strength. Strength to endure, strength to see this through, strength to overcome. Moments later the sound of the starting horn echoed through the air. This was it. We ran and plunged into the ocean. The reality of the ocean was a shock to my system. I was surrounded by a sea of splashing arms and legs, and I was taking in an insurmountable amount of salt water due to my lack of experience. The view of the vast ocean and the goal set before me left me feeling totally overwhelmed.

Exasperated, a nearby lifeguard asked me, “Are you okay?” I replied, “No." He asked, “Do you need help?” Fighting back the tears I replied, “I can’t quit, my family and friends are here!”

It was at that moment that I began to pray asking God to give me the strength to see this through. Rocked by the waves of the ocean with quite a way to go, I stopped relying on my own strength and found myself floating in God’s grace. It was God’s grace that carried me through the depths of the ocean when I couldn’t do it myself, and It was only by His grace that I crossed the finish line that day and became a Triathlete.

- Pastor Michelle Balderas

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that in my weakness you are strong. Whether I’m in the depths of the sea and the wind and the waves surround me, or the waters of my life are still and clear, your grace is always sufficient. Thank you, Lord for empowering me, for walking beside me, and working through me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Journal Directions

1. Briefly share a situation in which you needed supernatural strength to help you overcome what seemed to be an impossible situation.
2. What are you believing God for that won’t happen unless He gets involved in it?
3. Like my family and friends were to me, how can you be an extension of God’s grace?