Why It's Impossible...But Not For Him

 I stare out at the frosty trees, kissed by the wintery whiteness of a chilly outdoors. The thought crosses my mind that this thing called life really is impossible. With all the talk of recent New Year resolutions and all things goal-setting, I realize that we often don't think of how incapable we really are of keeping the promises we set for ourselves...of doing this thing called life...and doing it well. 
 This journey through our one short life is in itself impossible. So many dangers and fears beset us along the way that our only chance at getting it right is...Him. At various times in my life, I've run up against my own incapability. And honestly, while I've never been more demoralized than when I realized I couldn't do it all or get it right on my own, I've never felt more freed than when I knew that the weight isn't on me to do it right to begin with. You see, this culture makes us feel as if it all depends on us. We are the masters of our own fate. We are the determiners of our own destiny. So they say...
 But how might it change us if we understood that the responsibility isn't ours at all?! How might we begin to live differently if we grasped the simple truth that the One who created the beauty of frosty trees holds the universe in His hands?! And He holds us, too. Often, I think we treat God as too small. We admit that He's strong - we call Him mighty and sovereign - but when it comes down to it, we think that we've got to do it all. We make Him out to be a weak God. Which, if that were true, would make Him to be no God at all. I face a New Year...and so do you. This is a fresh beginning and a new opportunity to see God for who He really is this year. Personally, I am praying for a big faith in 2017. I'm eager to see God perform miracles and open my eyes to even greater evidences of His love. But my determination to stay connected to Him, to love deeper, pray longer will only carry me so far. Because I'll run into myself more often than I care to know. For all my good intentions, I'll fail more frequently than I want to admit. Because I can't do this. And neither can you. Whatever things you feel led to do or become in this year, you won't be able to accomplish them. God knows that. He is aware of our incapability, and He is fully knowing of the fact that we'll fall short on many occasions en route to the things He's requiring of us in 2017. There will be moments of doubt and tears as we remind Him of what He already knew..."I can't handle this. I can't do this, Lord!" He is prepared for our failings and our unbelief. So, for our part, why not go into this New Year and admit it first thing: it's impossible. We won't have grace  in and of ourselves to meet what's ahead...and only God knows what that is. We won't be able to be strong enough on our own for all the challenges and struggles we will have to face. We won't be brave enough by our own courage to deal with the fears that will stand in our way. We aren't enough. 
But the other side of it is, He is. He is enough. And He will bear the weight of all our burdens as to make them light; He will grant us grace in our hardest difficulties that we can only attribute to Him alone; He will give us all we need for what is next. And the grace He will supply will only be good for that moment alone. Not for the one before or the one after. Just the now. This thing called life isn't impossible for God. And He's definitely not incapable. If we let Him take it all and we simply follow...if we only accept the present-grace as our responsibility...if we walk in full acknowledgment of our inability and His ability...the journey just might grow sweeter. This thing called life just might turn into a possibility...because He's always enough...even when we aren't! 

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