You Can Do It! By Sue Detweiler

Everyone needs help on the sidelines. Everyone needs a cheerleader when it get’s tough. Everyone needs someone to whisper in their ear “You can do it!”

In my previous post Choices of a Life-Giving Mom I shared the dilemma I faced as I watched my daughter Rachel slowly make her way towards the finish line. She had the pressure of knowing that she needed to run the mile in a specific amount of time to make the soccer team.

What is a mom to do? Do I just let her fail, when I really know she can do it?

Suddenly I knew what I HAD TO DO… I dropped my purse and sprinted across the center of the football field to the other side of the track where she was making slow progress.

I put my hand on her back and said, “YOU CAN DO IT!” Immediately, Rachel picked up the pace and ran to the finish line with fresh energy. Everyone cheered. She made the team!!!!

I was helping Rachel to run across the finish line — but in a way she was helping me to let go of my bag and sprint on her behalf. We learn so much when we let go of self-consciousness and just GO FOR IT…

There is a parable for us in this…

My friend, if you have started to slow down for whatever reason, I want you to feel a hand on your back saying “You can do it.” — No, not in a self-reliant pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstrap sort of way. But in a God-reliant, God-honoring way. It’s time to fully trust that you have it in you to cross the finish line of your destiny….

You can do it!

You can do it!… You can be a life-giving, life-honoring, life-celebrating woman filled to the brim with faith, endurance, energy and inspiration.

You can do it… you can overcome the challenges of a lost job, sleepless nights, fragile body… stubborn toddler… rebellious teenager.

You can do it… You can cross the finish line of your destiny… no matter how old you are… no matter if there has been a surprise twist and turn in your path… no matter if you are running up hill…

Keep these 3 things in mind:

1. You can TRUST God.

God is for you so who can be against you. He has laid a path before you and given you choices along the way. He is your best cheerleader. He will communicate truth AND grace at the same time.

2. You can TRUST God’s Word.

In the midst of your journey when you are facing a difficult choice, you can trust God’s word to be your road map. No, it may not tell you which house to buy or which job to take. But the principles of His Word will tell you how to run the race you are in. You run it to win.

3. You can TRUST God’s Ways.

God uses the difficult things in our race of life to make us more like Him.

“…let us strip off every weight that slows us down,

especially the sin that so easily trips us up.

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,

the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…”

Hebrews 12:1b-2a NLT

The writer of Hebrews was aware that the champions used to wear weights when they trained. When race day came, they would take off all the weights so that they would feel light and free to really run.

In a similar way, you and I have “weights” that we train with every day.

• The weight of finances
• The weight of fear
• The weight of sickness
• The weight of worry
• The weight of _____

You can fill in the blank with what you are facing today. Just know that these weights are training you to TRUST God and to lean into His strength rather than your own.

So Rachel made the team! She crossed the finish line of tryouts and entered into the intensity of practice and competition.

In a similar way, as soon as you cross a finish line it becomes a starting line for the new adventure in the new season of life!

You can do it!

Were you inspired by the Biblical advice in this article?  Read more encouraging words by Sue in Choices Of A Life-Giving Mom

Sue Detweiler, mom of 6, author of 9 Traits of a Life-Giving Mom believes that it is possible to  take down the super-mom facade long enough to transform the hidden places of a mom’s heart. Sue admits that she like most moms, has moments where her own unresolved issues come to the surface. What do we do with our own imperfections?  Join Sue as she blogs about becoming a Life-Giving Mom by replacing your worst with God’s best. You can connect with Sue athttp://www.suedetweiler.com/.