No Excuses

Excuses are like armpits. Everyone has them and they all stink.” I can still hear my first high school coach saying this. Our whole lives we make excuses for not doing things or for why we mess up. We even try these excuses out with God, hoping He will see our flawless logic and give us a pass for messing up or ignoring His prompting.

In Costa Rica I have met two men who don’t make excuses despite obvious physical weaknesses.

Tim grew up a farm boy in Minnesota. He tried to run from God and ended up in a wheelchair. Yet despite being in a wheelchair he now runs orphan homes with his wife in Haiti, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. He could make countless excuses and try to blame God for his disability, but he chooses to be faithful. Tim places his own comfort below the will of the Father.

Oldemar grew up in the poverty of Costa Rica. In addition, he is blind in one eye and only has 5% vision in the other. Yet God didn’t see this as a roadblock to Oldemar being a pastor. While this may not seem like a big deal to us, many Costa Ricans look down on people with disabilities.

I love seeing such bold faith and men who trust that God is in control. Each have thriving ministries and adults and children know Jesus because of their faithfulness.

I pray that we all would have faith like Tim and Oldemar. Know that He is in control. Know that God does not see weakness but rather and opportunity for faithfulness. He has and will equip you to carry out His will.

You can make excuses or you can be faithful. Where is He calling you?