“I was raised in a subculture that insisted I could do anything I wanted to do, be anything I wanted to be, if I were willing to make the effort. The message was that both the universe and I were without limits, given enough energy and commitment on my part. God made things that way, and all I had to do was to get with the program. My troubles began, of course, when I started to slam into my limitations, especially in the form of failure.”
Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak
Our limits can be gifts if we let them be. They might show up like failure, season of life, fatigue, disability, grief, burn out. But the limits tell us important things about ourselves. They help us draw lines for margin. They pave the way for vulnerability. They sometimes show us what our passion isn’t. And that can be just as important as knowing what it is. In some cases, our limitations can actually become our inspiration.
So when when people say, The sky’s the limit! they mean there is limitless potential and you can do anything you set your mind to. But I’m not sure that’s true, and if it were true, I’m not sure it’s a good thing. When it comes to your influence and your ability to affect change, something has to be the limit other than the sky. Identify what those things are, set your own boundaries, and leave room for your soul to breathe.
See all the posts so far in the 31 days to Change the World series.
there definitely are some limits to what we can and should do. i am finding right now that there are certain limitations due to the nature of the season i am currently in. its taken a while but i have come to terms with it. i am a wife and mommy and love of god and others. all other things come second to these.
thanks for sharing this emily. just another reminder to tuck away that it’s okay to not accomplish everything…just the things i am called to in this season of life.
hey friend! can’t wait to hear how Canada is going!!!! and amen for margins, i think God made them especially for people like me, who struggle to see my limitations. thank you for the gentle, but truthful reminder.
In this season of life, I’ve found that limits are really good for me. I get really overwhelmed in the face of endless possibility. So much so, I just might end up standing still forever. Boundaries seem to give me the courage to move a little more freely.
God has placed a border around each one of our lives..we have a limit on our sphere of influence, our talents and gifts. He tells us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought. It is a good thing to remember this and humble ourselves before Him. When we live before Him in this way, if it suits Him, He will lift us up into a bigger sphere of influence without us having to strive and fight to be there. I love that we can just focus on Him, be obedient, deal with the day we are in and He orders our paths and the future. I love that He has given each one of us things we love doing and are good at and shine at for Him, in our own corners of the world.
I believe that understanding our limits is exactly part of reaching for the sky
when we give to ourselves, take care of ourselves, not push our selves beyond what we can do we are truly reaching for the sky in the sense that we are living fully. Living fully IS taking care of ourselves…living FULLY is loving our neigbour AS OURSELVES. Limitations are indeed a blessing, a guide to us crazy humans who always seem to want/need to take it that extra step further.
good thoughts today!
Love and Light
OH. MY! This is sooooo unbelievably good! So necessary!
Sharing this–speaking this truth–really is what so many of us NEED to hear. It’s okay to “fail”–we’re not failing at all when we just live ourselves; uniquely created with the limits we have. We glorify God most when we don’t try to be someone who we’re not.
I’m so appreciative of you, Emily. So. Much.
what amazing timing on this post. thank you!
my husband and i just gave up on the dream to adopt. He felt the calling, but i didn’t. i tried to get on board, really i did. i mean, what kind of woman doesn’t say yes to another child? but after months of fostering children, i realized God wasn’t calling me to it, i was trying to please my husband.
we’re definitely in a trying time for sure. to say no to your husband’s calling? it puts us both in a time of wilderness, wondering why we couldn’t both hear the calling and wondering what will come of this dream…what was it intended for? but i cling to the beauty of the wilderness that God shows us in the Bible through moses, Jesus, and many more: wilderness can be a time of growing and training in this time of stillness. it prepares us for when we both can be on board to a calling…that’s in His timing and for His purpose for our lives.
thanks again…it was just the affirmation i needed from God through your words.
Sweet sister! I am sooooooo excited for you!!! You are in my prayers. And I think you have a justified need to go shopping!!
Ahhhhh – breath of fresh air! Thank you
This quote is great…I don’t know that book. I must go google it.
Of all the posts you’ve done so far, this one speaks so beautifully to that worldly deception that “you can have it all”, so many people get disappointed and discouraged when their limits keep them from reaching the sky. It’s a nice reminder that we can stop at the mountaintop instead. And that’s not failure.
Just a word picture to go with your theme:
http://www.jasonandkelliwoodford.blogspot.com/2011/07/cages.html
Blessings!
i love your site
great message and the photos are lovely. this one is no exception
Hi Emily
I’ve been reading your blog for quite awhile now, and what a joy to see you on Huntley Street today!!!
Enjoy your blog!
I love this thought that limitations . . . give us space to breathe.
Fondly,
Glenda
Emily! This was a lightbulb post for me! I’ve always thought of my limitations as failure, as not good enough, never as inspiration. Today I’ve changed my thinking
Wow. I can so relate to this post (thus the name of my blog ~grin~). I think there comes a certain level of maturity (that I’m still learning) in being able to say, “You know, that’s just not my gift.” Or “You know, that is where I am really small and this is where He’s even BIGGER in my life.” I’m sure it can be easy to use your limitations as excuses to stay in our own comfort zones (Oh, I’m sure I’ve sidled my way out of things with plenty of those excuses!), but I think you are SO right: limitations = space for breath. Room for Spirit-breath by His giving more life, or bestowing true rest. Love this! Thank you for sharing!
I really enjoyed this post and the thought of drawing a line so you have both a reference point and a place from which to jump off or refer back to is so important. Lines drawn in the sand don’t always have to be boundaries they can instead be reflected upon as points of reference. Love it! Beautiful photo too!
This speaks volumes..thanks Emily!
Thank you for those words of wisdom. I needed to hear that!
This is amazing! We wrote on the same subject for Day 11. Your words bring so much life to the subject. Thank You Emily.
Thank you for this post! It’s interesting when you reframe your thoughts. My limitations can become my inspirations if I just choose to look at it that way! Powerful stuff.