Impossibilities

Impossible—Zany???

In the Rogers and Hammerstein song “Impossible”, Cinderella immortalized the wonderful, magical machinations of her fairy godmother with the words, “But the world is full of zanies and fools! Who don’t believe in sensible rules.” Earth to Cinderella: We have someone BETTER than an imaginary fairy godmother to access miracles —we have a very real JESUS! Not long before my 91 year old grandmother went home to be with her Lord and Savior, she had an odd experience. As she lay in bed, the whirring of her ceiling fan seemed to take on a repetitive cadence: “With God, nothing is impossible. With God, nothing is impossible.” Over and over. It filled her with such reverent awe and hope that she couldn’t help but share it. I wondered if it meant some kind of miracle was in the offing, yet at the time nothing seemed to happen … Ah! But as time went on, the cadence of Grandma’s fan, a salute to Luke 1:37, has come to mind many a time. When things deemed impossible by general consensus do, against all odds, come to pass, my heart fills with the glory of those words: with God nothing shall be impossible. One of the greatest examples of impossibilities made possible by God is a dear friend’s faithful stance against abortion. For 22 long years, from 1991 to 2013, every Saturday—and sometimes Fridays and special days during Right to Life fasts—she would stand in front of the abortion clinic in our hometown. Regardless of the elements, be it hot or be it cold, you would find her there, faithfully offering young ladies in desperate straights viable alternatives to abortion as she prayed for the closure of that death clinic. All the while praying for a reversal of Roe vs. Wade. An impossible dream, right? That’s exactly what the politically correct folks said. That’s what the glass-half-empty believers said. That’s what the gloom and doom naysayers said. Thankfully, my friend paid no heed to all the negative voices. She, and many other brave souls of the same stalwart mind, listened to and followed the heart of God. So guess what happened. The impossible.! On October 31, 2013, the baby death mill that my friend faithfully prayed against closed. Closed, people! Now, in the same place where there once stood a death facility, there stands a facility for giving the gift of life—a blood donor facility. Then, in answer to continued prayers, on June 24, 2022, Roe vs. Wade was overturned. Wow. ! There’s an old movie called Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus. My friend’s stirring story is hands down more exciting—because it is true. A title for the closing of the death clinic along the lines of the Christmas one mentioned might be: “Yes, People, There IS a God. And His Name Is Jesus! He Does Answer Prayer!” I’m sure many of you could add your own glorious examples to my personal litany of stories —stories of people made whole, miracles in finances, broken relationships restored, and so on. Long story short: we know and have seen the reality of Luke 1:37: with God, the sky’s the limit. The question is, what are those limits? It’s simple. The boundaries are those set by our own ability to believe! In these dark hours, it’s time to think outside the parameters of our box (Romans 13:11-12). It’s time to believe God for those impossible things for which we haven’t had the courage—or haven’t thought—to ask.! Mind you, it’s not a quick fix. My friend stood, fought spiritually, and believed for many long years. There were many times when it seemed hopeless. But the possibility of saving even one life spurred her on. And believe you me, the Lord delivered many through her hands. Over the years many of the souls she ministered to stayed in touch with her and sought her out to thank her for her intervention, grateful beyond measure for the precious life saved by her ministrations. Through thick and thin she stayed the course, year in, year out—and just look at what God did! ! Chin up, my friend! The best is yet to come! Are we zany for believing in the impossible? No! We are blessed to belong to a very real and glorious God to whom nothing is impossible! ! The fan is whirring! It’s time to believe God for the impossible! ( For a look at the emotions and spiritual powers at play in the fight against abortion, a book I recently read does a great job of bringing many of them to the forefront as well as putting forth a godly point of view. The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers may be “just” a novel but it’s a well-researched one. The author does a commendable job of including many sad abortion facts. Some I had not heard of prior to reading this book but, upon looking them up, found that they indeed had merit. As good as the book is, though, not all the devastating facts about abortion are included. Should you do your own research, I highly recommend not using Planned Parenthood propaganda. They play with/hide facts in order to protect their multi-million dollar industry.) !“For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).