Nita Hale

The Unchanging Answer

March 2011

Women today are dealing with entirely new sets of  challenging circumstances.  You are dealing with things your mother and grandmother could have never imagined when they were your age.  My intent is not to tell you what those new circumstances are because you’re well aware of them.  However, I do believe we need to be reminded of the unchanging answer.  As promised in Paul’s writings, faith remains the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  These challenges change rapidly but the power to meet the challenges and receive the answer is the same.  I would like to suggest a plan that will help you succeed in all areas of your life, as well as finding true significance.

My husband, David, has often said, “It is next to impossible to plan your success and failure at the same time”.  Your success requires a plan in the form of a simple plan.  That simple plan is focusing on God’s promises.  Well, there you go, sounds too simple to be true doesn’t it. We often miss the obvious.  Your circumstances will not determine your success or your significance, as long as you direct your thoughts through faith in God’s Word.  If you focus on any other plan, you will be dealing with all the stuff in life that produces fear and doubt. 

In his book, Failing Forward, John Maxwell tells a story about a forty year old man named Roger Crawford.  As he tells the story, he explains that Roger makes his living as a consultant and public speaker. He has written two books and travels all across the country working for Fortune 500 companies, national and state associations, and school districts.

Those aren’t bad credentials. But if they don’t impress you, how about this? Before becoming a consultant, he was a varsity tennis player for Loyola Marymount University and later became a professional tennis player certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association. Still not impressed? Would you change your opinion if I told you Roger has no hands and only one foot?

Roger Crawford was born with a condition called ectrodactylism. When he emerged from his mother’s womb, the doctors saw that he had a thumblike projection extending out of his right forearm and a thumb and finger growing out of his left forearm. He had no palms. His legs and arms were shortened.  His left leg possessed a shrunken foot with only three toes (the foot was amputated when he was five).

Roger’s parents were determined to give him the best chance possible for living a normal life. They raised him to feel loved, to be strong, and to develop independence. His father used to tell him, "You’re only as handicapped as you want to be." 

When he was old enough, they sent him to regular public schools. They involved him in sports. They encouraged him to do everything his heart desired. They taught him to think positively.  Roger observes, "Something my parents never did was to allow me to feel sorry for myself, or to take advantage of people because of my handicap."

Roger appreciated the encouragement and training he received from his parents, but I don’t think he really understood the significance or the extent of his achievements, until he was in college and he interacted with someone who wanted to meet him. He had received a phone call from a man who had read about his tennis victories and Roger agreed to meet him at a nearby restaurant. When Roger stood to shake hands with the man, he discovered that the other guy had hands that were almost identical to his. Roger became excited because he thought he had found someone similar to him, but older who could act as a mentor. But, after talking with the stranger for a few minutes, he realized that he was wrong.

Roger explains, "Instead, what I found was someone with a bitter, pessimistic attitude, who blamed all of life’s disappointments and failures on his anatomy.” I soon recognized that our lives and attitudes couldn’t have been more different … He had never held a job for long and he was sure this was because of  “discrimination” - certainly not because (as he admitted) he was constantly late, frequently absent, and failed to take any responsibility for his work. His attitude was, "The world owes me," and his problem was that the world disagreed. He was even angry with me because I didn’t share his despair.
We kept in touch for several years, until it dawned on me that even if some miracle were suddenly to give him a perfect body, his unhappiness and lack of success wouldn’t change. He would still be at the same place in his life."

Roger maintains, "Handicaps can only disable us if we let them.”  This is true, not only of physical challenges, but of emotional and intellectual ones as well … I believe that real and lasting limitations are created in our minds and not our bodies.

God knows our handicaps and He takes pleasure in your overcoming success.  For that reason, in your success the Lord is magnified.  Psalm 35:27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; May they always say, “The LORD be exalted who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

As a result, you cannot move toward success and without the seed of God’s Word first entering into your life. The Word provides the light that is needed to break the chains of all the difficult challenges in life. Your first concern must be the well-being of your soul which determines your position in life. With that being said, when your soul is well, you will see results. Finally, God’s Word is your foundation for success and for breakthrough in Godly significance.

Are you facing challenges today? We all are.  I believe faith in God’s Word, along with God’s power to overcome obstacles, will bring us through.  The circumstances and situations change daily, but the answer is unchanging.  “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

 

Grace & Peace,