Strength for Today

In 1960 a slender, young girl was described as the fastest woman alive. At the age of 20, Williamette Rudolf collected three gold medals in the Olympics and became the idol of thousands everywhere. But to many, what really was important was not so much what she did, but what she overcame. Willie could not walk without braces until she was 13. When she was just a child, she fell victim to polio. At 13, Willie started running to regain the strength in her legs and she did not stop until she had become the fastest woman alive.

A physical handicap was not the only hurdle that faced this young woman. Willie was number 20 of 22 children born to a black couple, so this admirable woman had to hurdle the psychological barriers of poverty and racial antagonism as well. Yet, what she did brings faith and courage of untold thousands who live with their own handicaps.

Williamette Rudolf faced a handicap that would have stopped most people, but it spurred her to excellence. Handicaps come to us in many different ways. Even the Apostle Paul lived with a thorn in the flesh (see 2 Corinthians 12:7), a handicap for which he sought and found God’s grace. Yet Paul said that through his weakness, God’s power produces strength.

You have two choices when you face a handicap. You can use the handicap as a crutch to fall back on, excusing your failures and shortcomings, or you can take it as a challenge, refusing to become its prisoner, asking God to help you overcome your weakness. I believe it’s realistic to say we are as weak as we believe ourselves to be and as strong as our faith. Listen carefully and you’ll hear the echo of God’s words to Paul, “My strength is made perfect in weakness!”

Used with permission from Guidelines International Ministries. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, send an e-mail to info@guidelines.org. You may also visit www.guidelines.org.

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT