Deceptive Strength

Bowling with newspapers and plastic bottles.  A classic childhood game, although sometimes the materials used changes (I know I had a miniature set of plastic pins complete with little plastic bowling ball).  The difference today was that the plastic bottles were labeled with things like darkness, loneliness, fighting, and...cockroaches (these are still little girls remember).  The newspaper weapons?  Labeled with things like love, peace, and kindness.  The story of David and Goliath is one that is quite popular among Christian circles, especially because it is accessible to children.  A young boy attacking a huge giant with nothing but five stones and a slingshot; and then there's the happy ending we all love: the giant is slain with only one shot.  Today, our little girls were practicing defeating their own giants of fear with the weapons God gives us.  Even though newspaper doesn't seem like a strong "weapon", it certainly does wonders against piled up bottles and boxes.  :)  Of course, the weapons of God are far stronger!
The strength of David was deceptive strength.  He appeared to be weak when he walked up to the giant; but his strength didn't come from his muscles...it came from God.  Yesterday I spent time with another who revealed deceptive strength: the woman who is the Indian director of the home.  Currently, she is battling brain cancer and the complications that come with that.  Yet yesterday went I sat with her for a few hours, we talked about God.  We talked about His faithfulness.  We swapped stories about how he'd worked throughout our lives.  Her strength doesn't come from her body.  Her strength comes from the giver of all strength: God.  It's deceptive strength.
I ought to explain where this idea of deceptive strength came from because it's slightly comical.  As with many lessons that God teaches us, it started as something literal.  Those of you who know me might compare my level of strength with David...perhaps less because he'd killed lions and bears and me?  Well, I'm too scared to kill a spider.  But, over the years I've discovered this deceptive strength of my own.  As I was helping yesterday, the woman asked me, "Are you strong?"  What she was really asking was, "Are you strong enough to lift me when I need help?"  Without a doubt, I answered yes.  And then I showed her, by helping to lift her up with one arm.  Her eyes registered astonishment at this weak young lady who could lift with such strength.  My eyes smiled back as I said, "Yeah, I'm stronger than I look."  Whether literal strength or spiritual strength, God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.