One of the traditional ways to deal with difficult situations, it to read Psalms. Infertility, for sure, is a difficult situation. Yet it is not a moment. It is prolonged. For many people reading Psalms is not comforting because they are not written in today’s language and unless reading them is your practice, they are not familiar. When times get tough, we like the familiar.
So bear with me a moment. There is one with a message for you.
This is the text of Psalm 121, a psalm that is commonly read during challenging and sad times. This is my translation.
A song for ascents.
I turn my eyes to the mountains;
from where will my help come?
My help comes from God,
maker of heaven and earth.
God will not let your foot give way;
your guardian will not slumber.
Behold, the protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep!
God is your protector,
God is your shade
at your right hand.
By day the sun will not strike you,
(nor) the moon in the night.
God will guard you from all distress,
and will guard your being/life.
God will guard your going and coming
now and forever.
This is written by someone who is feeling scared and vulnerable (sound familiar?). He looks to the mountains and realizes: my help is coming from the Maker of those mountains! This gives him some assurance. God is awake all the time and is super powerful! God will protect you. God is there at your right hand!
I can picture the author gathering strength as this Psalm continues, and here he clenches his right fist. With God’s “shade” of protection, he stands strong in the sunlight raising his right fist…
From there God is just super powerful. Protecting from all things, all the time, everywhere.
Back to the right hand. The right hand is commonly used in the bible as a symbol for strength. This is not saying your vulnerability is being protected. It means that your strength is being protected.
Countless times have I heard calls to turn to God to give strength; but this is saying that God protects your strength. You already have it.
So what is your strength that need protection? Or first of all, what is your strength? The point here is that it’s in you. It is as familiar as your right hand.
As I write that, I can’t help but clench my right fist to feel that power. The clenched fist creates a surge of “umph” inside. I like to think it comes from God. Wherever it’s source, it is your power. It’s in you. Just connecting to it invokes God’s protection.
To be sure, this will not make your test results change. This will not make money for your treatment magically appear. This will not stop insensitive comments from coming your way. What this does, however, it invoke and protect your strength to keep moving, to take are of yourself, to manage whatever comes your way. That is truly a super power.
So raise your right hand.
Clench your first.
Remind yourself of that power.
Your power.