The other day, I just did not feel like getting up out of bed. On my list of things to do was take advantage of the unusually nice weather and work on clearing leaves.
Now, I usually love this kind of work, but I have to be honest—it’s harder now that I’m disabled. With a fused ankle and a prosthetic leg, I simply cannot work like I could in the past. I was dreading it today.
However, every morning before my feet (or foot), hit(s) the floor, I recite to myself the following two Bible verses and ask God to give me a positive attitude and show me things in the day that remind me I’m not disabled, I’m just specially “abled” (I know, cheesy, but it works!).
2 Cor. 12:9 — “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Psalm 118:24 — “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
It makes a big difference when you focus, not on your circumstances, but on the Lord who walks with you in those circumstances. I am far from perfect in my trust in God despite my circumstances. I still get frustrated. I still grieve my missing leg. I still want to ask, “why?”
But through the grace of God, I do not linger in those moments. I look to how God’s grace is sufficient in my weakness and rejoice and am glad that God allowed me to live. I ask God to give me glimpses of His purpose through all He has allowed me to go through.
So, I got up. I started on the leaves and found a tree limb buried underneath. I grabbed my chainsaw, and it occurred to me. Here was one of my disabled-turned-specially-abled glimpses of joy. I used to always be leery of kickback from the chainsaw and my leg.
Now I just lead with my prosthesis. If there’s kickback and it should happen to hit my leg, I don’t have to worry—I won’t feel a thing!
Ask God to help you focus on Him and not your circumstances. Ask Him to show you glimpses of His love, purpose, and hope in the dark moments and seasons. I’m convinced if you won’t give up trusting Him, He will see you through each season.
