“Has there been an experience in your life when God helped you do what you felt was impossible?” —Journeying Through Lent with Mark, Greg Weyrauch

Just before this, the devotional writer described a day when he had nothing, so drained that he would have lain in bed except for the responsibilities that dragged him on.

I have had those days. More than once. (Way more than once.) And I have prayed the prayer he describes: “God, I have nothing available to get this done, to accomplish what’s in front of me. If anything happens, it’s got to come from You.”

And generally speaking it does ‘get done,’ God provides, and I honor God by figuring out my replenishing care as quickly as possible. (I’m pretty sure burning out is not part of God’s calling(s).)

Still, I’ve never characterized those days as impossible, or being full of impossible things-!?

One: I don’t allocate the impossible into my life. I suppose I’m too cagey for that — if it’s on my plate, I’ve envisioned that I’d be able to accomplish it. Possibly by inadvertently assuming extra dimensions of space and time, but the vision remains-!

Two: Perhaps it’s tied into my science-fiction/fantasy-novel-loving self, but I don’t choose “impossible” to describe things. “I haven’t myself figured that out yet,” is how I hold those ideas… maybe someone else has? maybe I will later? And maybe God has worked it all out and will be sharing that insight eventually, because who am I to decide what an omniscient, omnipresent entity can/can’t | will/won’t do?

On those days, all I can/will claim is that I don’t feel able to do this now. Which is plenty of truth to work with, and results in pretty much the same outcome.

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I routinely, however, pray the exclamation of the father featured in the devotion’s passage (Mark 9:14-32): Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief! (v24).

And then I tackle just the next thing. Until I have the energy to turn slightly, look over my shoulder, and exclaim, “Lord, look how far we’ve come!”