C’mon, put on your big girl pants on, I thought; you’ve done this before.
“Would you like some salad?” my missionary friend asked as we sat at the lunch table in the dining area of the camp outside Habana, Cuba.
Each meal time brought back memories of my life growing up in La Paz, Bolivia where mealtime was spent shooing flies that landed on the food, on my face, hands and all around. Similar to Cuba, in La Paz we did have indoor plumbing, a luxury for sure. But no way to flush; there was no water. No way to wash hands; no water in the sink either. And toilet paper was as scarce as drinking water. All that was familiar to me, but the flies annoyed me to the point that at times, they distracted me from the purpose of my visit.
Pardon my audacity, but you might have experienced that, too. You’ve encountered flies that distract you from the task at hand. Have you experienced times when God placed a mission or task before you, and those flies begin to attack? They land on you and they all have names, here they are:
* Negative thinking
* Negative talk
* Discouragement
* Self-doubt
* Insecurity
* Pessimism
* Self-pity
But no matter how hard we try to shoo them away, they keep coming back. Have you been there? The more we try to kill all those flies that annoy us, the more they buzz around us, above us and land where they’re not supposed to.
God spoke to Paul when he faced the same frustration; He said six words to Paul. Six words that make the difference between defeat and triumph. Six words that bring power to any attack. He said: “My grace is sufficient for you…” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Whether we’re in Cuba, Bolivia, or in the comfort of your home in the U.S. or whether your life is marching well. Or whether you’re facing the worst attack, God’s grace is sufficient. His power is enough. And His strength is plenty to carry you to victory.
What words will you speak to the troubles that fly around you today?
Janet P. Eckles