My daughter is my superhero.
Some people’s favorite heroes shoot webs from their hands or fly in iron suits.
But my favorite superhero is one who:
Stands when everyone else sits
And keeps going when everyone else quits.
I shamefully admit, when it comes to challenges, my first impulse is to quit but not my kid.
This week my daughter went through what she has termed, “Hell Week!”
She decided to join a First Responder's Explorer Program. In order to graduate and make it into the program, you have to survive one week of boot camp, which includes 10-hour days filled with long runs, hundreds of push ups, calisthenics, gear inspection, and testing.
The boot camp is challenging enough but, unfortunately for her, her high school volleyball tryouts ended up being the same week. So, everyday, she had to leave an intense 10-hour boot camp and go straight to a grueling 2-hour volleyball camp.
On Tuesday morning, at 4 a.m. she woke up throwing up. Dehydration, fatigue, lack of sufficient calories, and nerves had set in. She continued to throw up until about 10 minutes before we had to leave. With her head in the toilet, I asked her, “What do you want to do?”
Her reply, “Let’s go.”
On Wednesday morning, at 4 a.m. she woke up throwing up.
Concerned mama is asking, “What do you want to do?” because I admit I was ready to throw in the towel.
Her reply, “Let’s go.”
On Thursday with a 6 mile run ahead of her, she woke up at 4 a.m. throwing up. By now, mama is saying, “I want to quit.”
Her reply, “Let’s go.”
On Friday morning I was praying that with the long run behind her the throwing up would stop, but no. By this time, my mama bear heart was breaking for her. I asked her, "What do you want to do?"
Her reply, "Let's go."
So, that’s why my daughter is my superhero. A real hero is not one who gets their supernatural powers from a spider or alien planet. To me, a hero is someone who when emptied – literally – of any sustenance, power, or strength of their own, lays on the floor and allows God to fill them up with His power. Every morning with her head in the toilet, I would lay my hand on her head and pray God’s sustaining power and strength over her. My husband would lay hands on her at night and pray for her. I knew she wasn’t able to keep down adequate calories or liquids for the level of this physical training so I rallied family and friends to pray for her every morning and through out the day. And, I know it was only Jesus and His ministering angels who carried her through this.
On Thursday morning while she was collapsed on her bed, I read my daughter the story of Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:10). The Apostle Paul wrote that after he had been saved, he received amazing revelations of the LORD and had once had a heavenly experience where he visited the third heaven. Paul was very careful not to boast about these visions and revelations, but Satan still gave him a physical infirmity that greatly pained him. Satan was trying to hinder Paul’s mission and ministry. Paul pleaded with the LORD three times to remove the thorn in his flesh but Jesus told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My Strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Paul did not complain after that. He said, “Therefore mostly gladly will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distress, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
I told my daughter, who dressed in her uniform looked pale and weak, and was facing a six-mile run, “God has an amazing plan for your future. He has a calling on your life and that is why the enemy is trying to discourage you and prevent you from completing this race He has set before you. But we are going to pray like Paul because God does not play favorites with His children (Romans 2:11). The promise He made to Paul is the same promise He makes to you and me.
Here was my prayer for my daughter:
LORD, You told Paul, “In your weakness I will make you strong.” Well, my daughter is at her weakest point, Jesus. You said you’d make her strong in her weakness. So LORD JESUS, You need to be her bread of life and her living water today. Mount her up on wings of eagles and let her run and not grow faint. Surround her with Your ministering angels to sustain her and carry her if need be. She’s in Your hands LORD. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
How about you? Do you have a child who is running on physical, mental, or spiritual emptiness? Are they weak and need to be strengthened? Or maybe it’s you who feel empty. I know during this week, the burden to pray for my daughter was too heavy for me to carry alone. I felt overwhelmed by worry so I called out for help. Jesus never intended for His followers to be alone in our spiritual journey. He wants us to be united - one body and one church. He has promised where 2 or 3 are gathered in His name, He will show up. So, don’t be afraid or too prideful to ask for help. When we call out for help, that's when God hears from heaven and unleashes His angel army to conquer our enemies. Start a prayer chain via text messages. When we ask people to pray, not only are we strengthening our own faith, but also we are strengthening theirs. That’s what the church body is all about. It's not a building. It's a community sharing each other's burdens.
So, this mama is very proud of her little superhero! I know the LORD has an amazing plan for her life because He gave me this verse for her, “But as for you, Daughter, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” (2 Chronicles 15:7)
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) Do you need to be strengthened today? He is searching for you!
Love,
Yolanda
Dedicated to my little Explorer.
