The Strength of Brokenness

The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. ~ 1 Samuel 2:4

There is an oxymoron throughout the Bible. It says that brokenness is strength.
How can this be? How can brokenness be strength?
In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, the Lord has to break
His servants so that they might have a new kind of strength that is not human in origin.
It is strength in spirit that is born only through brokenness.
Paul was broken on the Damascus road.
Peter was broken after Jesus was taken prisoner.
Jacob was broken at Peniel.
David was broken after his sin with Bathsheba. ...

The list could go on of those the Lord had to break in different ways before they could be used in the Kingdom.When we are broken, we see the frailty of human strength and come to grips with the reality that we can do nothing in our own strength.
Then, new strength emerges that God uses mightily.
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Do not fear brokenness, for it may be the missing ingredient to a life that emerges with a new kind of strength and experience not known before.
Pray for a broken and contrite heart that God can bless.

on dolphy jr.

galing ako sa church kanina. i was invited by pastor zaldy para tumugtog.
may praise and worship kasi,, at kakanta daw si rodolfo quizon jr.
una, ayoko kasi ang aga, 7am. naman! wala pa ngang pasok, gigising nako
ng ganun.. at maysakit ako, trangkaso, pero di na ganun kagrabe.
but then, God intervened.. at pumunta ako.

pagdating ko sa church, na-meet ko si dolphy jr.
nakaputing barong, mejo malaking tao, at xempre kamukha ni pidol.
kaya nga junior eh. we practiced the songs he'll be singing.
at pumunta na nga kami sa worship hall kasi start na ng program.

at first, i thought tatawa ang mga tao dito kasi nga anak ng comedy king eh.
but as he went along with his message and testimony, i saw everyone
teary-eyed. actually, meron mga umiyak. i, myself, almost burst into tears.
yung tears of joy because of what God has done sa buhay niya. Grabe talaga!

God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways.
If that's true for Dolphy Jr.,
then it's also true for you and me.

quoting from him:
"Dati, ako'y anak lang ng King of Comedy,
Pero ngayon, anak nako ng King of Kings and Lord of Lords!"

ang lakas...=)

and i quote...

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot?
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.
Each prayer accepted, and each wish resigned."

>> Alexander Pope

the strength of a man

The strength of a man isn't seen in the width of his shoulders --
It's in the width of his arms that circle you.

The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice --
It is in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a man isn't just in how many buddies he has --
It's most admirably how good a buddy he is with his kids.

The strength of a man isn't just in how respected he is at work --
It's most importantly how respected he is at home.

The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits --
It's in how tender he touches.

The strength of a man isn't in the hair on his chest --
It's in the heart...that lies within his chest.

The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved --
It's in his loyalty to one woman.

The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift --
It is in the burdens he can carry.

I am a man and my strength comes from God alone.