Perfect in Weakness

My name is Edgar Ortiz. My wife Alexis and I have been married for 9 years. We have a 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

My life before trusting Jesus was hectic, lonely, and filled with doubt. I felt like I couldn't breathe all the time.

I came to know Jesus in my teens when I was in and out of the hospital. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after being very sick for months. A year or so later, I was also diagnosed with diverticulosis after suffering from digestive issues. While in the hospital after dealing with the many difficult feelings that come with dealing with heavy situations, I started reaching out to God. That’s when my relationship with God began to change. He went from being an all-powerful but distant God to a personal, loving, and forgiving God. One of the verses that stuck with me was 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

My perspective and heart have changed since trusting Jesus. It took time, but I feel freer and freer as I walk with Christ. I have more capacity for love. I am more understanding and empathetic toward others. Knowing we are all hurting, fallen, and in need of Christ, I am not as hard on others or myself. The burden of perfection is not on any of us but on Christ. I want to be baptized today because I want to be obedient to God. Reading the 4 Gospels and the apostle Paul’s letters has left me convicted that baptism and the symbolism behind it are important to God.