[Devotional #30] God Holds You When No One Else Has Capacity

What if I told you God holds you when no one else can. How many times have you been told, “I don’t have the capacity for that right now?”

After spending a morning at the children’s hospital with Maximus last week for new labs, everything has felt off. Truthfully, it was one of the more challenging weeks I have had.

Not just our routine, but our emotional footing too.

For me, it’s been the constant stream of bloodwork updates. For Maximus, it’s been trying to recover from the trauma of the blood draw itself. And with Finnegan refusing to nap, there has been very little space, if any, to be alone long enough to process what just happened.

Since the cancellation of Maximus’s clinical trial last year (don’t even get me started), I’ve been searching. Researching. Chasing answers. And now, as the results come back one by one, all abnormal, all elevated, all slowly pointing toward a real diagnosis after years of uncertainty, the weight of it has been heavy.

I notice something surprising in myself.

I’m accepting the adjustments we’ve had to make.

Max needing a wheelchair part-time.
Buying a preschool carrier so I can still wear him when walking becomes too hard.

These are not easy decisions. They never were. But seeing these results, as hard as they are, has also brought clarity. They justify what my instincts have been telling me all along. And that matters more than I expected.

And yet, somehow, in the middle of the exhaustion, I feel peace.

My bond with my boys has never been stronger. And the bond between them is something truly sacred. Finnegan is fiercely protective of Maximus. Even at two years old, he will stand up for his brother without hesitation. I’ve watched him puff out his chest and march toward a little boy who was taunting Max. Finn shows no fear when it comes to defending him.

Watching these two grow together, holding space for one another, is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. It is the greatest gift I have ever been given.

Their empathy toward each other, the emotional safety they offer so naturally, is something I find myself longing for lately. To be able to share my struggles and have someone simply sit with my emotions feels almost unreal. To vent frustrations, fears, annoyances, and be met with compassion instead of blame or correction… what a gift that would be.

But adulthood complicates things.

We all carry our own opinions, wounds, and limits. We don’t always have the capacity to hold someone else’s pain, especially when it doesn’t fit our understanding. Is that selfish? Judgmental? Human? Probably all of the above. But the truth is, human compassion has limits.

God’s does not.

When we seek comfort from Him, we tap into a compassion that is not constrained by exhaustion, bias, or misunderstanding. A compassion that listens fully. That holds space without rushing resolution. That meets us exactly where we are.

So if you’re struggling to find someone who will simply listen, remember this: there is always Someone waiting with open arms and an open heart.

Stay Mighty,

Devotional of the Week

Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…

There are moments when carrying everything quietly stops working.

When the explanations are too long and the details feel like too much.
When you’re tired of defending your reactions or justifying your exhaustion.

In those moments, Scripture reminds us that we don’t have to filter ourselves before coming to God. We are invited to come because of our weakness, not in spite of it.

Hebrews tells us that Jesus empathizes with our struggles. That means when we go to Him, we don’t need to package our prayers neatly or soften the edges of what we’re feeling. We can bring the frustration, the fear, the unanswered questions, and the grief exactly as they are.

God is not asking you to be strong before you come to Him.
He is asking you to come so that you can be strengthened.

When human relationships fall short, when there is no one who can fully sit with your emotions, God invites you to bring them to Him. Not to fix them immediately, but to hold them with you.

Prayer is not about having the right words. It is about having a place to lay the weight down.

And when you come to God honestly, you are met with understanding, not correction. With presence, not pressure. With compassion that does not grow tired.

You are not burdening God with your pain. You are doing exactly what He invites you to do.

Reflection

So often, we try to manage our struggles internally before bringing them to God. We wait until we’ve calmed down, figured it out, or found the “right” perspective.

But Scripture shows us a different way. We are invited to come as we are, in the middle of the mess, not after it’s resolved.

God is not distant from your trouble. He is accessible in it.

Journal Prompt

What have I been carrying silently that I haven’t fully brought to God?

What would it look like to come to Him without editing my emotions or minimizing my need?

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for inviting me to come to You exactly as I am. You see the weight I carry and the emotions I don’t always know how to explain.

Help me bring my troubles to You without fear. Teach me to lay them at Your feet, trusting that You meet me with understanding and care. Be my place of refuge when I don’t know where else to go.
In Jesus’ name,
​Amen.