I don’t tend to think in ‘impossible-s’. But I’ve had to rethink this and wonder about how or if I handle my (unacknowledged?) impossible-s when they do arise. Do I consciously act on what I say we should do in difficult situations – turn to the Lord? Do I follow through on my analysis mindset? Is an ‘impossible-s’ something I avoid or meet face on? What lessons have I learned from avoiding and meeting the impossible-s that I face? More specifically, what has the Lord taught me?
If one looks at this state, what is impossible? Obviously, a lost moment you could have done/said something to someone. Attempting to repay the Lord for all He did and continues to do. Taking back words and actions misspoken and undone. Impossible-s can range the gamut from the simple to the very complex. I checked Webster for some descriptive words about impossible and found: hopeless, unattainable, unrealized, unsolvable. That definitely puts (fill in the blank) impossible-s beyond what we can affect. When you look at just those few you can quickly see that they are significant. Impossible-s is not an unimportant word. But are impossible-s beyond our ability to affect? Or are they simply ‘difficulties’? Have we mis-classifed the situation?
I must admit that I don’t always follow my own advice or standard. I don’t think it’s intentional as much as it is unthinking reaction. Not always the best approach. However, I do tend to do at least a quick analysis to see if proceeding is recommended or change or deciding to abandon (fill in the blank). This always leads me back to the beginning to discover if what I initial believed still is relevant and then the questions emerge: did I have a good beginning but somehow made a misstep? Was the beginning flawed? Is where I am now a position of weakness or strength? And urgency determines how much time and effort I give to the questions.
The Lord has taught me that, while not every ‘failure’ is in fact wrong, I need to know what His plan is and how I should proceed. And no, turning to Him first isn’t always my first… but I need to be more intentional about this. I have discovered that if what I am pursuing is part of His plan for me, He will provide everything I need at the moment I need it as long as I take the time to find His will. Impossible-s are not in His vocabulary.
