In God's Strength

Week of November 21

“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)


My husband had always planned to do a eulogy when his father died. But he always wondered if he could- not because of poor speaking talents in front of a crowd-he was concerned he would break down and not be able to go on, causing embarrassment.

When he first viewed his Dad lying in the coffin, he broke down completely and just walked away sobbing, all the while saying to himself, how can I do a eulogy for this man? I’ll never get through it.

He went to bed that night with the funeral staring him in the face the next day. He woke up at 2:00 a.m. and started to pray-"Lord, I really want to do this eulogy-please help me." He woke up every hour on the hour and kept praying the same prayer.

When he viewed his Dad later that morning, prior to the coffin being closed, he broke down again. He went off into a room to be by himself, asking God why He had let him down-hadn’t he asked all night for the grace and strength, and where was it?


Following the mass, my niece was to give the first eulogy, and Ron was supposed to follow her. He told my niece he would give the thumbs-up sign- or the thumbs-down if he felt he could not do it.

God is faithful! My husband received such a surge of power and strength during my niece’s eulogy that he gave her the thumbs-up sign, walked up and gave a ten-minute eulogy without a note in his hand. The words just flowed! When he was finished, he received resounding applause.

At the luncheon following the service, family and friends kept telling Ron what a great job he had done and without notes no less. And Ron kept repeating the story in detail of how God came through for him when he needed His grace the most.

Judy and Ron
Summerfield, Florida
Reprinted with permission from Thanks Be, First Church of Christ,Wethersfield, Connecticut