"You Will Always Fail"

Settle in...this could take a while.

I know a couple of ladies that have been regularly posting their friend's blog posts on Facebook. The reason they've been doing this is because this pregnant mom received a devastating diagnosis a few months ago...her baby has Trisomy 18. Aleisa's raw vulnerability, humility and courage to face another day have been awe-inspiring to behold. I do not know her, but as evidenced by her blog, I believe she would give all credit to the Heavenly Father that has been carrying her. [To read the blog, click here I Will Carry You ]

Baby Nora was born on Tuesday the 17th, and as evidenced by the Facebook posts that were circulating that day, I believe hundreds of people have been praying for this family and this tiny little fighter that lived through a miracle, just by living through her birth. As I've been reading through the posts, one thought that's occurred a few times is "What would I do?" But Tuesday, as I kept going back to the blog to find out how things had turned out and just being amazed at this family's courage to share their heartbreak with the world, I was almost numb thinking about this burden they've had to bear.

Then yesterday, as a friend of their family posted some amazing birth photos and I was once again awed at the beauty of exactly what God has done in their lives, my thought was, "I can not imagine!" And the Voice I know so well and love so much said, "And that is why you will always fail."

Strange, I know, to give credit for this to the Holy Spirit but I know it was Him because instead of feeling condemned, judged or shamed...I only felt peace, assurance and light-weighted freedom! I knew exactly what He was saying...but it's taken several hours to be able to put it into words.

"I can't imagine"...what this family is going through, what a single mom faces every day, what a rebellious teen does to his parents' souls, what having a cheating husband who promises to change yet doesn't feels like, what it means to feel starvation, malnutrition, homelessness, molestation, abuse...the list goes on and on and on. And my loving, Almighty, amazing God assures me that because I can't possibly imagine going through any of these...I will always fail.

I will fail to provide all of the grace, mercy, compassion, assistance, understanding, faith, persistence, peace and above all else, Love that is needed for any given situation. I am only human, there are absolute limits to what I can do. And I will fail by judging, condemning, questioning, distancing for fear of reprisals or association or lack of resources...not because I want to...but again, because I am human and every thought or action that comes forth from me is filtered through my limited experiences and understanding.

Why do I find freedom in my failure? Because the burden to "figure it all out" isn't mine! Amen!

This has been a theme for a few days, as just last week I heard Beth Moore's conclusion to one of the points in her Bible study of Esther. The previous week she'd shared that it's "Tough being a woman who feels responsible for the 'how.'" In the last listening session the Scriptures she used to dispel this burden were found in 2 Peter 2:9 and Psalm 103:14

"then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment" (2 Peter 2:9, NASB)

"for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:14, NIV)

I don't have to know how because God not only does, but He also knows how finite and limited I am. But do I always remember how finite and limited I am? No! So yes, there is freedom in knowing that I will fail!

I will fail to be everything that everyone needs me to be in every situation that they may ever experience. Ohhhh...but guess Who doesn't?

• "The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail" (Zephaniah 3:5)
• "Lift up your eyes to the heavens", look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail" (Isaiah 51:6) 
• "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11)
• "Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail" (Lamentations 3:22)
• "For no word from God will ever fail" (Luke 1:37)

And the greatest of these?

• "Love never fails" (I Corinthians 13:8)

Amen! and Amen!