I started planning because summer was fast approaching, and I could hardly wait. As many of you know, it is my favorite time of year and I look forward to it. I planted seeds to give them a head start before they would be put in our garden. I began cleaning up my flower beds so they would be ready to bloom and bless us with God’s amazing handiwork.
My husband and I love to walk outside in the summer…whether it is just on our country road or an area trail. This year I had decided we needed to walk all the trails in our vicinity, so I picked up a brochure which had each one listed and I planned for us to explore every single one over the warm summer days.
I began thinking about having the grandkids for sleepovers. We would play outside, make popsicles…walk on the trails…just spend time together during the weeks when school schedules wouldn’t have to be considered.
We love to entertain…so I had already thought about having people over for dinner throughout the summer. Friends in to enjoy a meal together and maybe some time sitting on the deck.
And then…before the majority of this could take place…life happened. Once again, like many other times in my life…I began having health issues which would bring this fairy-tale summer plan to a screeching halt. One unexpected “detour” led to another…which led to another. Once again…I was told the word I would have to accept but have learned to loathe…”limitations”.
None of us like that word, do we? If you check a thesaurus, other words that mean the same thing are restrictions, restraints, inadequacies, weaknesses, snags, shortcomings and weak points. None of these words put a smile on our face and they especially don’t if we are a planning type person who doesn’t like those plans changed.
I wish I could tell you I have handled these rounds of limitations beautifully and always Christ-like. But I haven’t. There have been many days where tears flowed…sometimes from pain and sometimes from discouragement and frustration. There have been days when I have questioned God and His plan and have begged Him to heal my body.
Even with the times I haven’t responded in a Christ-follower way…He has been so faithful and has never given up on me. In the midst of these months, He gave me the words in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, “So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
I can’t tell you the number of times I have read these verses this summer. Even in some of my darkest moments, He has used these words to remind me that He can enable me. He can give me the power to accomplish whatever He wants me to do, whether that includes the plans I have made…or the plans He has designed for me. And all of that is possible because of His amazing grace.
Friends, I’m not sharing this with you today to get sympathy, because I know there is a good chance that what you are dealing with is much worse than what I have ever faced. I felt led to share this because I want you to know you aren’t alone. You may have also made plans for your summer, your year or even your life and they just keep getting changed and you are having to face limitations. I want you to know that I understand.
I want to make sure you realize that those limitations don’t make you less of a person or inferior to those around you. Just because you may not be able to do…what you think you should do…doesn’t mean you have failed or are loved any less. So often we base our worth on what we can accomplish…so when we experience limitations it is easy to fall into the trap of feeling second-rate. I want to remind you (and me!) that we serve a Savior whose plans may not be what we had planned…but they are always perfect and we are deeply loved even with limitations.
Maybe someday, we will understand why those limitations have been placed on our life. But for now, I’m praying you and I will rest in His promise to enable and empower us to do whatever His call is for our lives…limitations and all!
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