When I Am Weak by Dr. Sophelia P. Kelly, Ph.D. 

The Lord said to the Apostle Paul,

"My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is perfected in weakness."

Heavenly Father, as our patients lie in their beds of infirmity, we humbly pray,

Have mercy upon them and grant them Your strength.

When the world casts reproachful eyes upon their physical wounds, 

Let Your glory shine upon them, granting them Your mercy and grace.

Similarly, Lord, when we are weak, be the strength that lifts us up

And guide us to a place of safety.

Indeed, Father, Your grace is sufficient for us all, 

Therefore, we trust in You when waves of distress overwhelm us.

May the glory of Christ be with us all,

May the power of the Holy Spirit protect us from harm,

And may our patients, their families, and our families be filled with Your joy.

This we pray, in Jesus' name, 

Amen

     The above poem was written based on my reflections of the lamentations I heard from my hospice patients, their families, and friends.  Whenever I arrived at a nursing home, assisted living facility, or a patient's home, someone would eventually express their fears, and their body language spoke to their spiritual weakness.  There were times when I felt that I was carrying the weight of everyone around me.  The smell of infirmities and hallways lined with eyes filled with sadness began to feel heavy on my soul.  As a psycho-social professional and spiritual counselor, many people expected me to be strong in faith.  Often, people surrendered their anxieties, fear, and anger to me.  There were times when my spirit was weak.  During one of those times, I felt weak and unable to walk in my spiritual realm.  I wrote this poem as a way to lift my hands to the heaven from which my help comes.  I remembered a story in the Christian bible about how the apostle Paul brought his pain to God.  He described his anxieties as "a thorn in his side."  I pulled the thorns from my weary body and I placed them in the palms of my hands, and I slowly lifted the pain to God in the form of poetry.  From time to time, I re-read these words searching for renewed spiritual strength.

     At Epiphany Spiritual Care Consultancy, LLC, we offer to journey with you through the shadows and valleys of pain, suffering, and uncertainty.  We offer spiritual strength when our clients feel weak.  We provide a safe space to explore spiritual tools and resources.  We provide a holistic environment for couples and families to create solutions and conflict resolutions.  Poetry is a spiritual tool that speaks to a person's soul, their lived human experiences, and can provide joy amid the unknown.  I showcased my poetry as a method to reveal transparency from one who has walked through darkness in search of the light.  Please, book a session with me and let us create solutions that are founded in love and peace.