Today we hear that Paul is struggling. There is a thorn in his side that is consistently painful. It simply will not go away. Scholars are not sure to what exactly this 'thorn' refers. It could be a physical illness. It could be a spiritual conflict invisible to the eye. All we know that it is a significant and persistent struggle for Paul.

Paul asks the Lord to take this thorn away from him. Yet the Lord does not take it away. Instead, the Lord invites Paul to see his situation from another angle: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.'

Presented with this change in perspective, Paul realizes that he does not need to fight this battle alone. In fact, it is in the struggle that he discovers God's power at work in his life. In Paul's vulnerability, he finds God standing with him and giving him strength to endure.

Do you have a thorn in your side? Is there something painful in life that simply will not go away? Jesus asks us not to face this alone. He invites us to bring this struggle to him and trust in his guidance, presence and grace.