My friend, Marlene, has pretty much gotten used to the fact that she’s lost most of her sight. She’s accepted her limitations; she has adjusted to the realities of not being able to drive her car; not being able to pick up the kids from school; not being able to jump in the car and run to the store. Marlene has gotten accustomed to that and she is thankful for what little vision she does have, but every once in a while, occasionally when she happens to go into the garage and looks at that car sitting right there, suddenly she gets blind-sided by a wave of hurt, disappointment, regret, and she can’t help the tears.
Then there’s me. I am a quadriplegic and I’ve put behind me the big struggles. I’ve accepted the fact that my hands don’t work and feet don’t walk. But sometimes, not always… but every once in a while, something small, something minor and incidental -- like the other day when a new girl was brushing my teeth for me and she just wasn’t getting the corners--a little thing like that overwhelms me and I felt a backlash of frustration and regret. And I know God has done mighty miracles in my life but there are days when I wish I could jump out of bed and get myself dressed.
The fact is, most of us Christians (once we’ve gotten over some big hurt), we’ve dealt with life’s disappointments; we’ve won the battle. We’ve put behind us that thing, that big struggle, you know, the really monumental stuff – maybe the birth of a disabled child, the loss of vision, or the reality of quadriplegia, or your husband has left you some years back. And we can go on; we can accept day by day the grace that God gives us to overcome the hard thing that sticks, that never goes away. We seem to experience closure to our situation and we move ahead.
Then something happens…not even something big, and there we are, right back in that same painful place opening up an old wound.
What purpose do these little painful reminders serve? I’ve asked Marlene that. And I’ve asked myself. And I think it has something to do with humility because setbacks, whether they are great or small, keep us humble. They keep us recognizing that only through Christ can we do anything. And if we get a little too used to living life under our own steam, then we crash and disappointment returns. Marlene and I understand that too much distance between our weakness and our strengths can breed an independence from God.
I need to remember – and perhaps you do too today – we need to understand that when Philippians 1:6 says that, "He who began a good work in you,” we need to understand that “he will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” He’ll do it! You don’t want too much distance between your weakness and your strength because that will breed an independence from God. What God wants is humility and that will come with that little setback, great or small, it will keep you humble today.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends