Accepting the power and grace of the Holy Spirit through our times of suffering

So many times I have heard how strong I am to have dealt with the loss of my daughter Blair. My answer is always the same "no no I'm really not strong." I never know how to react to this statement because I know myself and my weaknesses. It's sometimes hard to make it through a full day without just wanting to crawl up in bed because of something trivial, so how in the world could I have made it through the most devastating time in my life? When I say I am weak... I mean I am weak. 

So how do I explain this? I am reading a book by Beth Moore about John. It is called The Beloved Disciple. My answer comes in 1 Peter 1:7 "These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold , which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  She states those who are faithful in the midst of immense suffering somehow allowed their fiery trials to purify them rather than destroy them. 

Like so many who I have heard say " I could never get through this or that", I myself have stated these same words. As a matter of fact I still find myself saying "I can't imagine" when hearing many stories of people's suffering. We automatically set ourselves up for failure before our trials even come.  Beth states "God grants us grace and mercy according to our need."

We aren't able to handle these things until the times comes and God grants us the grace through the Holy Spirit. It is our choice to accept it or not. Friends, the only thing I did right during my time of suffering is run to Him and embrace his grace and power given to me through His Holy Spirit. He gives us just what we need just when we need it. He's never late or stingy. Praise God! I am weak, oh so weak....but He is oh so strong!