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Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: Failure (03/01/04)
TITLE: We Can Do All Things
By Jacqueline Odom-Bullock
03/03/04
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“Thank you!” I was so excited when the mailman bought the package that I had been waiting for, for weeks. I rushed to the couch and plopped down ripping the box medium size grayish-white box open like it was a Christmas present. I pulled out the contents that included brochures and order forms. All kinds of ideas began to dance in my head, “I’m going to get started as soon as…” as I began to really read into the material I realized that I needed to come up with several hundred dollars that I did not have. Immediately I felt defeated.

The sun was blaring through my patio glass sliding doors. It had to be at least seventy-five degrees that spring morning. I sat on my couch with the television blaring not really watching it. A minister appeared and began to speak to me. “You know that God wants you to go ahead and start your business. What are you waiting for?” I got up and walked over to my storage closet under the staircase. I pulled out that grayish-white box that I now had for a month. I sat back on the couch and pulled out the contents once more. I began to cry as if someone had hurt my feelings. Why could I not get my business started? This had been the second time I had set out to start my own business. I had previously bragged to my family and friends about what I was going to do. I felt like a complete idiot. I felt like a failure. I had the time but I really had no money to get started. And because of my feelings, I had no drive to prove myself wrong.

It was not until years later that I came to find out that, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 (KJV). I did not know the extent of God’s power that is endless. So I have learned that we do nothing on our own. We have to include God in everything that we do or we are sure to fail sooner or later. As Christians our destiny and success is contingent upon God’s direction. And he can do anything but fail.