Living Fully in God’s Assignment
Snow is a magical thing.
I sat on my gray couch wrapped in my purple, fleece housecoat, as I do most mornings, when my casual glance outside fell upon those tiny white flurries. Instantly, my heart lightened, and a smile spread across my face.
“It’s snowing,” I said quietly to Oreo, our pit-mix dog.
The snow has a way of transporting me back in time to the many mornings of high school I prayed they would close the doors for even the slightest hint of snow, as it typically happened in Memphis.
Or, I’m taken back to some of the happiest memories of my childhood, spent outdoors in layer upon layer of pajama pants, long-sleeved shirts, jackets, coats, and gloves.
I remember throwing the smallest snowballs because we barely got enough snow to cover the ground, but it didn’t stop my brothers, my parents, and I from trekking outside to enjoy the precipitation we so seldom received.
These days usually ended with us all huddled around the fireplace warming our small, frozen hands and eating a bowl of snow cream my mother made.
These memories are so precious to me. I treasure the memories of my parents investing in us by building snowmen, making snowballs, and scooping snow into a bowl.
As Ryan and I make the transition into parenthood, I find my mind scouring these old memories taking note of what’s stuck with me the most over the years.
I’ll admit, entering into motherhood and being laid bare to my very core scares me to death. It leads me to question myself.
Am I ready for this? Can I actually do this?
Both are questions new mothers have asked themselves for centuries and will likely continue asking for the rest of time.
There’s a pat little phrase we often use when new challenges arise in our lives. You’ve probably heard it before, and every time I hear it, I cringe a little on the inside.
You know, the one where God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, when in reality He often gives us much more than we can handle on our own.
This phrase is cringe-worthy because throughout the Bible is example after example of God doing exactly the opposite. Over and over again He gives people much more than they can handle, but God goes on to use them, even so.
He places the heavy burden on the unqualified, equipping them in every way to accomplish the task He’s set before them.
God does give us more than we can handle in our own strength. When we rely on our skills, our talents, our strength to accomplish the task or fulfill the assignment, we will undoubtedly fail as we become overwhelmed by our inability to do the thing.
As I move ever closer to becoming a mother, I keep this assurance in my back pocket, taped to my mirror, or stuck to my refrigerator: Through Christ, all things are possible. Through faith in Christ, I can live fully and joyfully in the assignment God has given me.
