Kathy stepped aside and let the occupational therapist march into her house. Suppressing a salute, she led her back to the room where Mom sat. Days earlier Kathy’s mom had suffered a stroke that paralyzed her left side.
Photo Credit: Ambro
The OT wasted no time in putting Mom to work. Kathy watched the no-nonsense woman bark out orders to Mom, “Gimme ten more!” The command came with every new exercise, and Kathy watched in agony while Mom obeyed with obvious pain and effort.
Furously taking notes and fighting tears, the Lord gently broke in and said, “Watch me work.” So she put her paper and pencil down and watched more intently. Soon, she sensed the Lord saying, “The OT knows Mom CAN and MUST do these exercises if she’s ever going to walk again.”
Then the point of the Lord’s living parable clearly came through. The Lord knows we CAN and MUST exercise our faith muscles if we’re going to be strong enough to stand with what’s coming. The Lord is saying, “Gimme ten more” with each trial – ten more faith muscle reps.
In silent submission, Kathy softened to the truth and resisted confronting the OT.
How often, Kathy said later, does God give us opportunity to push through and get strong, but we so often want to quit. Instead of stopping when the going gets tough, sometimes we need to listen and respond to His encouragement to “Gimme ten more!”
I’m not suggesting God is mean or militant. He’s definitely kind, but He’s also Good. If we’re going to be seriously up to know good, we will have our character exercised.
Q4U: How is God exercising your character? Will you give Him “ten more”?
It’s easy to tell ourselves to give up when we start feeling uncomfortable, but what’s to be gained by staying spiritually flabby and immature? Instead, let’s grow and be truly fit for the calling God’s given us.
Lord, forgive me for being such a wimp sometimes. Today I commit to giving You ten more faith muscle reps whenever You ask. Amen.
This is a great analogy, Sara! He often requires “ten more” of me just when I feel like I can’t continue, but He is doing some amazing things in my life. I am grateful!
He’s obviously making you strong while showing lots of glory through you, Jennifer. Blessings as He puts us through more training!
Lovely.
This is so true. I’m reading “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” with my 4 year old right now. Aslan isn’t tame, but he is GOOD. God is good… he just isn’t obedient to our wants or “needs”. How often I am grateful to that coach or teacher who pushed me to dig deeper and do more. How much more should I be grateful to God for asking more of me. I ask to be the wife, mother, teacher, woman that He wants me to be…. but I think sometimes I’d like it to be accomplished with a little bit of fairy dust.
Thanks for the reminder!
Yes, sometimes fairy dust seems like it would be handy to have in the cupboard, but I’m glad God gives real and eternal training despite how hard it can get! Thanks for your lovely thoughts, Kathryn.