Will He Give You More than You Can Bear?

Five star day yesterday! The drainage tube came out, 50 cc's of fluid were pumped into my expanding fake breast, and I am in almost no pain from the mastectomy two weeks ago. I have been walking 9-10 miles daily, the storm that has been threatening for a week held off for my walks yesterday, and my only job is to rest and recover emotionally and physically. I stopped in at Carolina Breast Friends, hugged the lovely people there, got a free mastectomy bra, and gave them some artwork to give to a woman in need. I felt surrounded by love, joy, and good news yesterday. I am on a wonderful path.

And then, one of the mamas I work with sent me this:

That is the 3-D ultrasound of her little baby in utero. I met the wonderful mama on the sidewalks of the abortion mill where I counsel women to choose life. She chose life, Jesus, and look at that chubby cheeked pumpkin. I asked if I could share the photo with my friends and supporters of our mission for life of the unborn (go to Charlotte.Cities4life.org ).


"Yes! Please do! I am so grateful for everything you all have done."

Music to my ears.

As if one encouraging text was not sufficient, another mama texted me, and asked if I would help her pick out a name for her baby. She was grateful beyond belief that we helped her decide to let her baby live. What a magnificent life I live!

So many women we meet on the sidewalks of the abortion centers tell us their circumstances are unbearable. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they see no way out but abortion. They may know God, but they don't trust Him. In their minds, they have been given more than they can bear, and they seek their own wretched solution. I often agree -- not to the abortion, but to the hopelessness of their situations. Most have been brought on by their own poor choices, but not all. Does God give us more than we can bear?

Last night, my new oncology nurse called. They are ordering an 'oncotype test' which is a test that evaluates the tumors they removed and specifically determines if the cancer will respond to chemo or not. The results will be low, medium, or high risk for cancer return, and will thus guide the oncologist's decision on chemo. I am praying for low risk, and no chemo. I won't know for two weeks. I told the nurse I wanted to preserve two dates to 'be well' : my daughter's birthday, and a trip to NY to see my sister and folks in July. She said she felt confident we could keep those dates as ones I would 'feel well', whether chemo was in the picture or not. Praise God.

A month ago, the thought of chemo was more than I could bear. I still don't want it...but I know I will be able to bear it. I have borne so much more already than I ever thought possible for one small, timid, pain-adverse lady.

I stopped to chat with a neighborhood friend yesterday. She is a believer and we talked about how often the most precious lessons God has for us occur with the most difficult circumstances.
"He won't give you more than you can bear," she said. As you can see from my writing thus far, I have long pondered this sentiment. It is a partial phrase from a Bible verse. God will not give you more than you can bear....

Frankly, I disagree.

I have been given more than I can bear. The cancer is but one in a huge litany of unbearable circumstances over the past two years. As in all scripture, you have to read the whole verse in context. The verse ends noting that God provides the "way out" to endure the unbearable trial. Does this mean He lets us escape the trial? That is certainly not what I have experienced. What does the Bible mean by "way out"?

This is where a good Bible Concordance comes in handy. The Greek root of the "way out" (in some translations "escape") is ekbasis. (Greek was the language of the original New Testament manuscripts.) This word means an exit, or an end. The primitive root from which ekbasis is derived is ek, which means origin.

Interesting! The 'escape' from unbearable trials is a word that expresses both origin and end! AND get this: that particular Greek word is used only ONCE in the entire Bible.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Now I am not a Bible scholar. However, I love the Bible, and I read it daily, and when I don't understand something, I scour the original meanings of the earliest most reliable translations as best my meager mind and tools allow.

What...or who...is both the beginning and the end in all of Scripture? The point of origin, and the point where all things end? The Alpha, and the Omega? God Himself, and only God. 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Revelation 22:13

This is the answer. We WILL encounter trials beyond what we can bear. I know that because I have! This is the key, and I believe the point of 1 Corinthians 10:13. God is with me. If He is with me, I can bear anything because He is helping me shoulder the burden. It is the lesson I am learning, and that is why I can say that this cancer journey has been hard, but not without joy. He has provided a 'way out': God Himself.

Does He give us more than we can bear? Yes. But NEVER more than He can bear on our behalf.
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 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.