Congratulations to Jeanie whose name was drawn for the copy of Carol Burton McLeod’s book No More Ordinary. Thank you to everyone who submitted their name. Jeanie: please email me with your mailing address (kathyspeak at aol dot com).
I didn’t know I would soon need God’s strength for a painful choice, but I did, and He came through for me.
I was rushing for a speaking engagement, had gotten into the car, and then remembered something else I needed. Getting out, I pushed the car door closed with the fingers of my right hand as they were wrapped around the edge. Almost in slow motion, as the door slammed on my hand, I thought, I don’t think I’m supposed to leave my hand there. Crunch! Ouch!
Pain shot through my hand and up my arm. Quickly opening the door with my left hand, I pulled away my throbbing hand. The middle finger hurt the most. I didn’t have time to put ice on it but drove to my speaking engagement and was able to put the pain aside enough to speak.
The rest of the day, my swollen, black-and-blue finger throbbed with pain. When I complained to Larry about the aching, he said, “You may have to drill a hole in your nail.”
I shot a look of disgust and horror at him. How dare he mention such a horrible act! And what possible good could it do? Add pain to pain? Didn’t make sense to me. I could just imagine Larry holding his whirring drill against my nail and drilling a quarter-inch hole as blood spurted for three feet. No way!
That night, my pulsating finger woke me up and even pain medication didn’t help. By the next morning, I was desperate. I would do anything!
When I told Larry I would do anything, he nodded smugly and left for the garage. When he came back, he carried the smallest drill bit I’d ever seen. I took it in my trembling left hand, sat at my desk, and placed the tip of the drill bit against my throbbing nail. I prayed, “OK, Lord. I don’t know if I can do this. Please help me as Philippians 4:13 promises me.” A shudder went through my body as I began twisting the drill bit against my nail. I continued to twist and turn it, expecting any moment tremendous pain and blood gushing from the nail.
Several times the drill bit slipped off my nail, and I jumped, I was so tense. I muttered a fast, “Help me, Lord!” and pressed the bit against my nail again. As the seconds passed, I looked at my nail and couldn’t see any difference. But then, I noticed a small indentation in the nail. The drill bit didn’t slip off center as much as before.
I continued to pray, asking for courage. I just knew that at any moment, the drill bit would go through the nail and hit the nail bed, and become even more painful—if that was possible. But I was committed. I had to continue. “Thank you, Lord, for giving me the strength to do this, even if it’s going to hurt more. I just hope it’s worth it.”
About two or three minutes after starting, I lifted the bit and noticed the slightest bit of red liquid at the base of the indentation. And then fifteen seconds later, a bit of red blood seeped out, and I put the drill down. Blood now dribbled out of the hole and I carefully and slowly squeezed the tip of my finger.
But it didn’t hurt to do that. I was shocked. In fact, it didn’t hurt any more at all! The throbbing was gone!
I lifted my hand to show Larry and yelled that the pain was gone. He again smiled smugly, yet happily, “Told ya so.”
Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” In such a silly thing as my nail, God strengthened me to do what I needed to do.
That promise of God’s strength is available for all of us regardless of whether our need is great or small. Tweet that!
In order to lay hold of the strength God promises, first take one step toward the plan He has for you. Don’t worry about the other ten steps you think you’ll have to take; just take the first one and pray as you do. He’ll supply the additional strength that you need for further steps.