"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Sometimes I feel so weak . . . like I will never be able to accomplish my goals or I will never have the great joy of knowing--in the end--that I ran not just a good race, but a great one. Do you ever feel that way? So many things in life bring it on: Illness, injustice, financial worries, sin. I see myself as the clay vessel, always longing to be gold. I go to the Lord and say, "God, why did you pick me to do this? Who am I? I've failed you in so many ways. I've disappointed you countless times."

But He always comforts me. I go to the Psalms and David reminds me, "For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." When I pray with my children at night, I say, "Thank you, Father, that you love us no matter what we do." There is such comfort in being loved no matter what.

Whenever I feel the heavy weight of the world, I remember the advice my Dad used give me, "Take one thing at a time. Don't try to do everything at once, it will overwhelm you." Move the mountain one shovel at a time.

And God will use us to move those mountains. He can take clay vessels and make them into gold. He is the Master Potter and He knows our frame.

Yes, I will fail. Yes, I will disappoint Him in some things until the day I finally kneel at His feet.

But He will always give me another chance. And He will love me no matter what.

Years ago I discovered this bit of wisdom from Theodore Roosevelt, a man who faced his failures and overcame enormous obstacles in life to become one of the greatest Presidents this country has ever known. He tried, and failed, and tried again.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."