I posted basically this same entry on the team blog, but I thought it was a good one for everybody to read. So general public, enjoy!
Last Friday Alice in Wonderland came out. Being the huge
nerd/Tim Burton fan I am, I was super excited to see it and even
blocked it off so nobody could call me to substitute teach that morning
(well, that may have also had something to do with the fact I spent 4
hours in a corner of a dark classroom under lockdown the day before
because they found a gun in a bathroom, but that’s a different story).
Anyway, I personally thought the movie was fantastic (spoiler alert:
Alice falls down a hole), but there was one line repeated several times
that got me thinking. People kept telling Alice things were
impossible, but she said it’s only impossible if you think it is. In
fact, Alice said, “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six
impossible things before breakfast”. I realized Alice and me are
pretty different here. How many times have I thought of 6 things and
deemed them impossible before breakfast especially since I got accepted
for the World Race.
nerd/Tim Burton fan I am, I was super excited to see it and even
blocked it off so nobody could call me to substitute teach that morning
(well, that may have also had something to do with the fact I spent 4
hours in a corner of a dark classroom under lockdown the day before
because they found a gun in a bathroom, but that’s a different story).
Anyway, I personally thought the movie was fantastic (spoiler alert:
Alice falls down a hole), but there was one line repeated several times
that got me thinking. People kept telling Alice things were
impossible, but she said it’s only impossible if you think it is. In
fact, Alice said, “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six
impossible things before breakfast”. I realized Alice and me are
pretty different here. How many times have I thought of 6 things and
deemed them impossible before breakfast especially since I got accepted
for the World Race.
6 trip related things I’ve questioned the possibility of just this last month include:
- Raising nearly $15,000 – the same amount roughly 1 out of 8 American households earn in a year
- Packing my life into a bag and having it weigh only 40 pounds
- Seeing miracles described by current racers like healing through prayer
- Living in a tent when I consider “roughing it” sleeping in a hotel and forgetting my favorite pillow at home
- Being
able to walk up to a total stranger & just start talking to them.
Once I’m your friend, let’s talk all the time. If we’re not, I’m
terrified to speak to you. (I really took the don’t talk to strangers
talk to heart.) - Oh and did I mention raising $15,000
Now if you had asked me: Alex do you believe Luke 1:37 that
nothing is impossible with God, I’d honesty answer yes. However,
despite this verse and others like it (Matthew 17:20), I realized when
it came to my life I was acting like I didn’t believe it. But then I
realized aren’t Christianity and the Bible full of things that appear
impossible? There’s probably hundreds, but I can think of 6 I believe
before breakfast every day. Honestly pretend these news stories
happened today, and think how would you react? CNN would cover them
non-stop. Why? Because they’re impossible!!
nothing is impossible with God, I’d honesty answer yes. However,
despite this verse and others like it (Matthew 17:20), I realized when
it came to my life I was acting like I didn’t believe it. But then I
realized aren’t Christianity and the Bible full of things that appear
impossible? There’s probably hundreds, but I can think of 6 I believe
before breakfast every day. Honestly pretend these news stories
happened today, and think how would you react? CNN would cover them
non-stop. Why? Because they’re impossible!!
Crazy man builds huge boat. Survives in it for 40 days and 40 nights. Whole world floods.
Whole nation flees slavery. Escapes when guy raises staff and entire sea parts.
Man survives 3 days inside fish. Vomited out alive.
City walls collapse when group walks around it 7 times and blows on horns.
Some bread and a few fish feed thousands. Still have leftovers.
And most importantly: Man crucified, dead and buried rises from dead 3 days later.
All of these appear impossible, yet I believe each and every one
happened. I believe a guy lived in a fish, but I don’t believe I can
raise money? I believe a man rose from the dead 3 days later, but I
don’t believe I can talk to a stranger? Ridiculous! Obviously if I
believe the 2nd list happened I have to truly believe the 1st list is
possible. You have to believe the impossible to be a Christian! Men
don’t rise from the dead, but that’s the most important part of the
Christian faith. If I didn’t believe this impossible thing was not
only possible but really happened I can’t take this trip because I
don’t believe Christ is Lord. So I realized my faith in God working
personally in my life wasn’t missing, it was just hiding down a rabbit
hole waiting to be found and used. So I had this great epiphany and
everything was great.
happened. I believe a guy lived in a fish, but I don’t believe I can
raise money? I believe a man rose from the dead 3 days later, but I
don’t believe I can talk to a stranger? Ridiculous! Obviously if I
believe the 2nd list happened I have to truly believe the 1st list is
possible. You have to believe the impossible to be a Christian! Men
don’t rise from the dead, but that’s the most important part of the
Christian faith. If I didn’t believe this impossible thing was not
only possible but really happened I can’t take this trip because I
don’t believe Christ is Lord. So I realized my faith in God working
personally in my life wasn’t missing, it was just hiding down a rabbit
hole waiting to be found and used. So I had this great epiphany and
everything was great.
God decided to drag this new found faith out and put it to
use. I woke up that night with a horrible pain in my rib cage. It hurt unless I sat straight up, so several times I sat up
for a while and tried to lay back down and sleep. Fail. Every time.
Finally I decided to put this faith into practice. Couldn’t hurt. I
prayed for God to take the pain from me, but I truthfully doubted
whether it would succeed. I finished praying and slowly inched back
down to my side expecting the pain to hit at any moment. Except it
didn’t. It worked. Unbelievable! I laughed. It’s the only reaction I could have.
God is so awesome.
use. I woke up that night with a horrible pain in my rib cage. It hurt unless I sat straight up, so several times I sat up
for a while and tried to lay back down and sleep. Fail. Every time.
Finally I decided to put this faith into practice. Couldn’t hurt. I
prayed for God to take the pain from me, but I truthfully doubted
whether it would succeed. I finished praying and slowly inched back
down to my side expecting the pain to hit at any moment. Except it
didn’t. It worked. Unbelievable! I laughed. It’s the only reaction I could have.
God is so awesome.
So through this experience and a 3D Disney movie God showed me I
wasn’t lacking faith, I just wasn’t fully tapping into it. And now I
am, and it’s great. I’m just glad I discovered this faith before June
because I would have missed a lot if my faith was late for my very
important Race.
wasn’t lacking faith, I just wasn’t fully tapping into it. And now I
am, and it’s great. I’m just glad I discovered this faith before June
because I would have missed a lot if my faith was late for my very
important Race.
