Reason #177
I thought it would be impossible to rebuild my life. I thought it would be impossible to pick up and move on. Some days, I thought it would be impossible to make it through another day. I had my moments where I thought it would be impossible to be happy and laugh again, impossible to make it through a whole 24 hours without crying, impossible to ever be thankful for what I had been through. I really figured it would be impossible to ever be used by God. I am so far from perfect, was so completely broken and ashamed, that I just knew it would be impossible for me to do much of anything good with my life now. And I had this prayer that I earnestly prayed again and again, "Lord, please bring purpose from my pain. Please don't let this be for nothing." But plenty were the days that it just seemed impossible. Impossible to stop hurting, impossible to get away from the painful memories, impossible to heal.
I had dinner with my family last night, one of my favorite things, and as I was hugging my grandad, another one of my favorite things, he held up my hands and began to inspect them. He said, "Where is the scar from when you cut the tip of your finger off?" I pointed it out to him, he squinted to see it and he said, "If that could heal, why couldn't everything else heal, too?" He had a point. I suppose it is possible!
“What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) This is a lesson I have learned as I've walked down an incredibly difficult road. A road I never thought I'd possibly walk down. And when I thought it was impossible to keep going, He made each step possible.
In April, I felt like He was asking me, once again, to do the impossible. Step out, be brave, expose my scars and lead a bible study. Not possible, I thought! There is no way I could ever do that succcessfully. And I figured it would be a tough go, a hard thing to get started. I figured I'd have to beg, plead and bribe people to show up. Plus, I knew there were plenty of others who could do a much better job than I could. People who were wiser, more talented, more gifted, and more equipped than me.
I boarded a plane to Austin this afternoon for a business trip. As I drove through Austin with my co-workers, we decided to have dinner at Chuey's. We sat down at our table and I, like every other 20-something year old, fished my phone out of my purse to check and see if I had a vitally important text message or Facebook update waiting for me. No texts, no updates, but I did have an e-mail. Trying to be ever so polite, I held my phone in my lap and quickly glanced over the e-mail, which concerned the bible study mentioned above, and as I read my face almost cracked from the gigantic smile that quickly spread across the front of it. Tonight, sitting in the middle of an unusually decorated Mexican food restaurant, God reminded me that "nothing is impossible with [him]." (Luke 1:37)
And I wondered why I ever doubted in the first place. Why did I think it wouldn't be possible? Because I've seen it. I've witnessed Him do the impossible not only in my life but in the lives of others. And although you'd think it would be impossible for me to forget those mighty acts, obviously, it's possible. And so He reminded me tonight. With a quick e-mail message, He reminded me that the possibilities are limitless when we seek Him in all we do. And I praise Him for doing the impossible in my life.
And I suppose if He can take a broken, simple, forgetful, girl, a girl who is slowly figuring it out one day at a time, and do the impossible by bringing laughter back into her days, filling her life with joy, healing her hurting heart, easing her painful memories, and using her ordinary ways to bring glory to His name, then why couldn't He turn the impossibilities in your life into possibilities, too?
#177 - Because He turns impossibilities into possibilities!
"Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever!" - Romans 11:33-36
I had dinner with my family last night, one of my favorite things, and as I was hugging my grandad, another one of my favorite things, he held up my hands and began to inspect them. He said, "Where is the scar from when you cut the tip of your finger off?" I pointed it out to him, he squinted to see it and he said, "If that could heal, why couldn't everything else heal, too?" He had a point. I suppose it is possible!
“What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27) This is a lesson I have learned as I've walked down an incredibly difficult road. A road I never thought I'd possibly walk down. And when I thought it was impossible to keep going, He made each step possible.
In April, I felt like He was asking me, once again, to do the impossible. Step out, be brave, expose my scars and lead a bible study. Not possible, I thought! There is no way I could ever do that succcessfully. And I figured it would be a tough go, a hard thing to get started. I figured I'd have to beg, plead and bribe people to show up. Plus, I knew there were plenty of others who could do a much better job than I could. People who were wiser, more talented, more gifted, and more equipped than me.
I boarded a plane to Austin this afternoon for a business trip. As I drove through Austin with my co-workers, we decided to have dinner at Chuey's. We sat down at our table and I, like every other 20-something year old, fished my phone out of my purse to check and see if I had a vitally important text message or Facebook update waiting for me. No texts, no updates, but I did have an e-mail. Trying to be ever so polite, I held my phone in my lap and quickly glanced over the e-mail, which concerned the bible study mentioned above, and as I read my face almost cracked from the gigantic smile that quickly spread across the front of it. Tonight, sitting in the middle of an unusually decorated Mexican food restaurant, God reminded me that "nothing is impossible with [him]." (Luke 1:37)
And I wondered why I ever doubted in the first place. Why did I think it wouldn't be possible? Because I've seen it. I've witnessed Him do the impossible not only in my life but in the lives of others. And although you'd think it would be impossible for me to forget those mighty acts, obviously, it's possible. And so He reminded me tonight. With a quick e-mail message, He reminded me that the possibilities are limitless when we seek Him in all we do. And I praise Him for doing the impossible in my life.
And I suppose if He can take a broken, simple, forgetful, girl, a girl who is slowly figuring it out one day at a time, and do the impossible by bringing laughter back into her days, filling her life with joy, healing her hurting heart, easing her painful memories, and using her ordinary ways to bring glory to His name, then why couldn't He turn the impossibilities in your life into possibilities, too?
#177 - Because He turns impossibilities into possibilities!
"Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever!" - Romans 11:33-36