God’s Power in Weakness (1): Jamie Grace, An Inspiring Example
Do you think you can never fulfill your dream, your calling, because of a weakness or inadequacy? God chooses the weak to shame the strong! His power is accomplished in our weakness and inadequacy! Weakness is actually an incredible opportunity.
Jamie Grace is a beautiful example of this truth. BGEA published an inspiring article about the Dove-award winning singer/songwriter. In it she talks about her ministry through music…and her lifetime struggle with Tourette syndrome:
The daughter of pastors, Jamie Grace stays grounded even while touring with some of the best-known Christian artists around. In 2011, she was discovered on YouTube and signed by TobyMac, who is featured on her No. 1 single, “Hold Me.”Listening to her poised voice and slight Southern accent, most would never know she has Tourette syndrome. The sometimes-debilitating disorder causes uncontrollable facial tics and other random behavior like sporadic noises and fidgeting.
“[Ages] 9 to 15 were pretty miserable,” she said. “There was a time when I really didn’t leave the house.”
So her mom painted the hallways light blue to represent the sky and bring a sense of joy from the outside. When she couldn’t sleep, Jamie Grace’s father would stay up late and groove to jazz with her.
“He would just dance the night away with his little girl. I would be in so much pain, but I would laugh so hard,” she said….
Now, her happy-go-lucky spirit is nothing short of contagious.
“Everybody’s got something in their life that they can’t control,” she explained. “I choose not to dwell in my Tourette. I choose not to focus on that.”
You can read the entire article here.
Although she once doubted God’s love for her, Jamie Grace found fulfillment and sufficiency in Christ—and God is encouraging others through her story. Tourette syndrome, the very thing that might have seemed a detriment to her dream, is the very thing God is using to inspire others! It’s what most demonstrates the power of God—the power resting on her in her weakness.
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Watch Jamie Grace share her inspiring testimony in the video below.
Question: How does Jamie Grace’s testimony inspire you in your own weakness, inadequacy, or affliction?
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES:
- God’s Power in Weakness (2): God Chooses Those Who Are Not
- God’s Power in Weakness (3): Spurgeon, Murray, and Wilkerson on Weakness
- God’s Power in Weakness (4): Too Much Going For You
- God’s Power in Weakness (5): Scriptures About Weakness and Strength
A Few Related Posts:
- Refresher Course: The Opportunity of Weakness
- Overcoming Adversity 101, Part 6: A Few Reasons Why
- That I Might Grow
- Boundless Strength, Eternal Joy
- Depression (3): There is Hope and Joy in God
- A Conscious Decision
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, Shades of Grace will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
“Natalie Grace Nichols is experiencing God’s grace and freely expressing it. My wife, Betty, and I thank God for the ministry of Jesus through Natalie.”
“I’m so thankful that God is raising up women like Natalie for a new generation, providing biblically balanced teaching, encouragement, and comfort for people who are enduring life’s trials.”
