What does it mean to be strong?

"You are such a strong person."  I have heard that sentence many times, and I struggle with it a little bit.  I take it as a compliment, but what does it really mean?  Am I really a strong person?  In my opinion, I'm no stronger than the next person.  We all do what we have to do when we hit rough patches in life.  I would describe myself more in survival mode; going to any length to reach my goal of becoming a mom.  I go through all of this because, in my mind, there is no other option.  Yes, we could stop treatments, and it would be very understandable, and there would be nothing wrong with that decision, but I can't.  So maybe my perseverance is what makes me strong? 

I recently read a book titled "Stronger" by Jim Daly.  It was a very interesting take on suffering and how we are to respond.  I have not reached this level of faith or trust in God, but it is something I strive towards.  Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Quite simply, when we are at our weakest and we begin to grow in faith and strength, we display the power of Christ to the world.  His light shines brightest when we are nothing.  Our faith magnifies His glory."

"I believe that when we are broken we are better able to sense His nearness and are more open to allowing Him deep into our hearts."

"God gives us a choice when we face difficult circumstances.  We can choose misery or we can choose to face trials with God's help, knowing that we'll come out the other side as stronger people for the experience.  That doesn't necessarily mean that our trials will end.  But whatever happens, we will gain a new strength for dealing with them.  We can discover meaning in our circumstances and a purpose that helps others overcome their own pain."

"Will we allow our circumstances to define God, or will we choose to let God define our circumstances?"

"We must accept not only what is happening in our lives but also the fact that God has everything under control and that He is using it for our ultimate benefit.  When we accept this truth we significantly strengthen our relationship with the Lord and our faith.  If we reject this truth, we can slide toward despair and death, because trying to make sense of trial and tragedy without God does not work."

"The Lord knows when our souls are grieved.  Our Father in heaven is full to overflowing with compassion.  But when we demand that He fix things now, that He resolve matters according to our agenda, it shows we've missed everything He's taught us.  We need to allow room for His perfect will when we make our requests."

"The question during difficult times is not, "Why is God picking on me?"  Rather, we ought to ask, "What does God want me to learn from these tough times?"

Obviously these lessons can apply to any difficult situation, not just my own.  So I hope that you have also found encouragement and hope by reading them.  It was also a good refresher for me to read them again and renew my trust in God.