“Pushing Beyond Ourselves”

pushing beyond ourselves
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
FOX News had former Army veterans on their morning show the other day. It totally touched my heart and amazed me as I watched these young men and women push beyond their inabilities, and take charge of their life so that they can return to a life of some degree of normalcy. Each one had been injured or lost limbs in the war. There were physical trainers there sharing how they were helping them to get their lives back through a physical fitness program, and also using dogs  to help them with mental health and companionship. It was amazing as they shared how this program was such a success, and how each veteran supported each other in what seemed to be situations that would be hard if not impossible to deal with.
 
 
 
 
 

They began to show different men and women demonstrating their strength by lifting heavy weights .  It was amazing seeing them  display their fitness and strength in spite of their injuries. It was so touching  to see such strength and perseverance even though they had been severely injured or lost a limb.

 
 
 
 

The one young woman that really blessed and touched my heart had suffered the loss of her one leg. She stood among her injured comrades with complete poise and balance. You see, even though she  only had one leg  she determined her life would go on and she would press in, and do all that seemed impossible. She stood there like a beautiful statue. She was a picture of complete balance, dignity and strength, and not once did she lose her balance nor did she hold onto anything to help her. Not only was she able to do that, she was able to reach down and pick up a barbell and then put it back down perfectly. Again, even with the heavy weight in her hands, there was no loss of balance or strength. It was simply amazing!
 
 
 
 

They began to interview her and ask her how could she do such a thing? She began to share that when she first lost her leg, her physical trainer began to share with her how she wanted to rehabilitate her. At first this young lady struggled with believing her physical trainer. She kept working with the trainer and she gained the ability to keep her balance and stand strong even though she only had one leg. When she reached that goal, she said to her trainer, “I want to go further!” I was blessed and touched, as I saw her share her heart of rising above such a huge difficulty and misfortune, but yet she purposed to go further. She purposed to go for even greater strength, and she purposed to accept even greater goals!

 
 
 
 

This challenged my heart, because we all have things in our life that we need to look beyond what we think we can not do or inabilities that are very real. We need to believe what God says about us, and what He says about our situation. We need to lay hold of it, and move in the direction of His vision of our life. When we are strong, let us not stop there but let us say as this young woman said, “I want to go further!”

 
 
 
 

May I encourage you today to look to the Lord as the greatest Spiritual and Physical Trainer ever! Yes, you may have inabilities and lack of development in certain areas of your life. And yes, you may have experienced things that have set you back, but know that the Lord your God is able to strengthen your feet to stand strong again, and He will lift up your arms in times that you are weary. Let us look forward and persevere and reach for the goals that the Lord is setting before us in Jesus Name!
 
 
 
 

Hebrews 12:1-2 Amplified Bible

Jesus, the Example
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].”