DEFY THE IMPOSSIBLE

By Ariana Keating

Have you ever read something and had it get stuck in your head? That happened to me recently with a magazine article titled “Murder of the Impossible.” As soon as my eyes fell on it, I was intrigued. (The word “murder” does have a way of capturing your attention!) I quickly skimmed the text. It told of a man who had climbed most of the highest mountains in the world. In fact, he had dedicated his entire life to his dream of becoming one of the most skilled and accomplished mountain climbers ever. His passion was not without its price, though. Taking on the elements often cost him his health, and on one such occasion frostbite claimed seven of his toes. Undeterred, he continued to search for new ways to defy the impossible.

After I put the magazine down, I reflected on what it means to defy the impossible. First of all, what is impossible? From the most innocent child to the wisest elder, we all encounter things that at first seem impossible to us. But unlike those who have been persuaded by experience that it doesn’t pay to try to tackle the “impossible,” babies expect to overcome. That’s because they have a quality that the doubters lost as they grew up—childlike faith and trust. They have faith in their parents and trust them to be there to catch them if they fall. And their faith pays off; they learn to overcome an amazing assortment of obstacles, one step at a time.

That, I was reminded in my moment of reflection, is the key to vanquishing the impossible—faith in God. As we take God’s hand, He can help us overcome any impossibility. Throughout history great men and women have confronted the impossible and have come out victorious, and that is why they are still remembered. The road to victory was long and treacherous, but they went the distance, one step at a time. They defeated the impossible because they held on, and when that victory was theirs they looked ahead to the next challenge and moved on.

When the impossibilities of life loom large, take God’s hand and take it one step at a time. He makes the impossible possible. 

Ariana Keating is a member of the Family International in Thailand.