It seems that my life is full of “I Can’ts. I can’t go backpacking with my family. I can’t eat certain foods because they make me ill. I can’t travel easily right now due to food intolerance issues. I can’t function like I want to because of chronic fatigue syndrome. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. I hate it.
Perhaps you have some “I can’ts” in your life too. They aren’t fun. In fact they are awful.
But God reminds me that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13) That doesn’t mean that I will be able to backpack or run races or even function like I want to, but it does mean that what God wants me to do I will be able to do. He will give me the strength to persevere and accomplish what He has planned for me.
I went to a Hopi show at our local museum recently and met my son’s friend Davis there. He is a painter and had several of his paintings displayed. One painting, of a warrior maiden named He’e’e’, spoke to me. The title of the painting is Undaunted.
That is what I need to be. Undaunted by my circumstances. Full of I cans instead of I can’ts.
I can do what God asks me to do. He has allowed the awfulness of chronic fatigue syndrome and food intolerance in my life for a reason and I will do the best to serve Him and accomplish what He wishes for me to accomplish while I’m in this state.
I will be undaunted.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
And so can you….
(To see more of Davis’s work see this link.)
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