A New Day

Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” The following story comes from JustNews.com: As dusk turns to dawn in Miami, a morning routine as predictable as the sunrise spins into action. Lance Benson joins droves of cyclists and joggers who dominate the Rickenbacker Causeway early in the morning, but no one handles the road quite like him. Born without legs, Benson pounds the pavement with a skateboard and a pair of hockey gloves. It’s his way of training for the New York City Marathon. Mind you, it’s not his first, but his 30th marathon to date. Benson’s connection with the road began as a simple workout in 2004. He is the only marathoner in the country to use a skateboard in the 26.2-mile event. For a man who, even as a child refused to sit in a wheel chair and who, as a toddler, learned to walk with prostheses, it made sense. “There’s no better way to connect with the road. Every time my hands make contact, it’s how I imagine it would feel if I had legs. You don’t get that feeling in a wheelchair,” Benson said. Benson has never known another way to move, so he is helping to teach others that there is life after legs. He is a member of Achilles International, a running club for veterans injured at war. “We work through our limitations together. They can see me and say, ‘Hey, if he can, we can.’ It helps them realize there’s more to life after war and injury,” Benson shared. So, my friend, what limitations are forcing to hold you back? Are you faced with restrictions that you believe are thwarting your dreams? Perhaps, like Lance Benson, you have a physical impairment. Or, possibility, there are unseen emotional barriers that have locked you in a prison of hopelessness. Take courage from Lance Benson, as the veterans he works with do: “Hey, if he can, we can.” Our Scripture lesson today reminds us, that with Christ’s strength, we can do all things. Today is a day, for you to rise above your present limitations and push past that which has held you back for so long, launching you into a new level of freedom, with this new day.