MAKING THE “IMPOSSIBLE” POSSIBLE
Denise Linton
Today's Scripture: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’” Mark 10:27, ESV
Theme: We all have hopes and dreams that seem nearly impossible.
THE LONG WAIT
We all have hopes and dreams for our lives, yet after a period, we may begin to think they will never happen. After obtaining my master’s degree, I really wanted to teach at a community college, and that became my dream. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy working with adolescents and at-risk youth, but I felt in my heart that teaching was where I needed to be.
In 2003, I began applying to many different job openings for community colleges throughout the area. I knew that I had the skills and the knowledge, but over the next 13 years, I continued to get denial letters. “Thank you for applying, but you do not have the experience needed.” Or “Thank you but the position has been filled.” After the first several years, I began to give up hope that this dream would ever be realized.
With reluctant hope, every now and again, I would apply for part-time positions, hoping to get my foot in the door, yet never truly expecting it to happen. In October 2016, I received a call—out of the blue—from a community college, asking if I would be interested in teaching as a part-time instructor. It had been two years since I had applied to this college, but the department head told me HR had put my resume on his desk. I jumped at the opportunity. It had been 13 years since the initial dream and my first college class. This was God; He made the “impossible” possible.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
In the movie “American Underdog,” Kurt Warner had a dream to be an NFL quarterback. He knew he had the skills and the talent, but his dream did not come about on his timing. When he was first offered the opportunity to play in the Arena Football League, he probably felt like he was settling. He would never see his dream, and he desperately needed money, so he had to settle for less than his goal. What he didn’t realize is that God was preparing him to be ready for when he reached that dream. God was working on Kurt, using him, and helping him to perfect those skills.
So many times, we have hopes and dreams that don’t come about as quickly as we would like, so we give up and assume it will never happen. But we don’t always see the bigger picture. God sees the bigger picture and follows His own timing, which is the perfect timing. I can only speculate but would Kurt have made such a big impact in the NFL (and for God!) had he immediately been drafted right out of college? As for me, would I have had all of the stories and life experiences that I use to help teach my classes if I had left the mental health field earlier?
HANG IN THERE
Not all our hopes and dreams come true, no matter how long we wait. From the time I was a sophomore in high school until I graduated from college, I set my sights on being a juvenile probation officer. After graduation, I applied for over 150 different positions in 14 different states. While waiting for what I thought was my dream job, I ended up working at an emergency shelter for adolescents, which took me on a totally different path. I am so thankful that God had a different plan. There is a country song by Garth Brooks, with the lyrics “Thank God for unanswered prayers.” But if your hopes and dreams align with God’s plan and His will, sooner or later, He will make the “impossible” possible.
Make it Personal: What dream have you felt is impossible to achieve in your life? A marriage that may seem broken beyond repair? A job you have wanted for so many years, but for which you have been rejected time and time again? A debt that may seem overwhelming, impossibly large, but you feel God challenging you to get it paid off? Share your hopes and dreams with God. He wants to hear them. Ask God if this dream aligns with His plan. Be patient and have faith. If it seems like it is taking forever, trust that God is either preparing you for this dream or He is preparing you for something even better.
Pray: Father God, You know my heart’s hopes and dreams, but I would like to share them with You, out loud and in faith. Guide me on the right path, the path that You want me to take. If my dreams align with Your plans, give me the patience and the faith to trust that You can and will do the impossible. Your timing is perfect timing; Your ways are higher than my ways. And if my dreams will not bring You glory, give me the faith to trust that You have even better plans for my life, plans that will honor You. Amen.
Read: Mark 10:27; Habakkuk 2:3; Ecclesiastes 3:1
Weekly Memory Verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11, ESV