Around 4 and 1/2 months ago, my knee began to give me trouble. It seems my two surgeries and countless other injuries from basketball and football in my younger years has caught up to me. I have arthritis and calcium deposits riddling both of my knees, especially my right one. So, my hiking over the past few months has seen some adjustments. I now wear knee sleeves when I hike and I use treking poles. Though I'm not fond of the limitations that this new development has forced on me, I've tried to remember that there is value in recognizing one's limits and using that as a strength.
My favorite rock band is U2. They don't rank at the top of many people's lists of the all time greatest bands, but they are certainly one of the most successful rock outfits of all time. They've sold close to 300 million records and are the highest grossing touring act of the past few decades. But early on, just after forming the band while in High School, the members could not even play their instruments. They had to learn as they went. Bono was nearly kicked out of the band for "not having a voice". Since they couldn't cover very many songs from other bands (due to a lack of proficiency on their own instruments), they were forced to write their own songs and to create their own style of music. This had the added effect of making them more creative and less derivative than many of their contemporaries, even as they grew in their musical prowess. Their early limitations became a strength, not a weakness.
I loved first grade so much I did it twice! That's one way of looking at it. That's the positive spin. The truth is I could not read at the end of my first grade year and struggled to keep up academically with my peers, so I was forced to repeat first grade. I was "held back". The extra year did me well. By the end of first grade (the second time), I could read. But even after getting that bonus year of education, I have struggled in subjects like math, science, foreign language, and grammar. I love the English language and I love literature (including poetry). Though it took me longer to learn to read than my contemporaries, I now love to read And I also love to write. But a grammarian, I am not. So, how did I become a decent writer? By reading. And by knowing my limitations and using them as a strength, rather than a weakness.
One of my favorite definitions of humility is "being comfortable in your own skin." I'm not there yet, but I am trying to get there. And part of that process is learning to accept my limitations. Limitations don't have to be weaknesses, they can also be strengths. But even if they are weaknesses, the weaknesses can be turned on their head and used for a greater good. In writing to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote, "I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong."
So, what are your strengths? Be thankful for them and use them for the good of others and the glory of God. But what are your weaknesses? What are your limitations? May you find strength in your limitations and by accepting your weaknesses for what they are, may you become more comfortable in your own skin. And don't discount the fact that it might be through your limitations and weaknesses that God does his most powerful work. - Shay
