by Staci Bell
It has been said many times, to many hurting people, from many well-meaning people, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” It has even been quoted as Scripture. It’s not in the Bible. Not even close.
When I think about my dad walking home from school, nine-years old, probably wondering what snack he was going to have waiting, God was not “giving him something he could handle.” When he discovered his mother had left with another man, and he would never see her again, God was not “giving him something he could handle.”
What God did was equip him for the unimaginable, with grit, family, and resiliency. God brought people into my dad’s life to stand beside him, as he fought his way through life. He made some hard choices, and had to suffer some tough consequences. However, through it all, God was there…putting people and opportunities in his path. A beautiful wife, devoted to the end. He also had caring children, willing to serve and love him. A mind like no other, my dad was able to always figure things out, Shep was given something he couldn’t handle, but God was with him to provide him with support and resources to survive and thrive. And HANDLE.
My Hannah was born on the same day my dad was born. October 2nd. A day in common. I pray for her to have my dad’s resiliency. I stand by and watch my daughter face the hardest challenge in her life and know this is not something she is supposed to “handle.” It is something she is equipped to fight.
She will fight for her life and for her ability to be a mother. It is more than I can handle. This is more than any human can handle…on their own. So, God handles it with us, for us. He gives us strength, courage and endurance. He gives support through caring family and friends who pray, bring meals, give words of hope and encouragement, who cry with us, who keep us looking at life, this life, Hannah’s life, with positivity and joy. He gives us doctors who are knowledgeable and skilled to combat this thing called cancer. This thing we don’t understand and don’t want to “handle.” We are not alone, Hannah certainly is not alone.
We have the God of the Universe, the God who sends others to battle alongside of us. And when we come out on the other side, we can be the one to help someone else handle what they can’t. God created us to need Him and to need others. Resiliency is simply tapping into that need and drawing out the strength it gives.
Hannah will win this battle and she will move forward to help others with their battles. That is just who she is. She has come by it honestly. She is Shep’s granddaughter. She will survive and thrive. And HANDLE.
Staci Bell is a no nonsense gal who loves God and loves people. She is the Director of Admissions at a small Midwest liberal arts university in Lincoln, Nebraska. She loves to write, run, cook, and bake. She loves to lead, whether it is her team, her family or women in a Bible study. Staci has been married to her sweetheart, Jerry, for over 32 years. They have three adult children and an adorable Yorkie named Elphie.
