I came across the following story and hope it blesses you as it blessed me.
Years ago a lad was born in Belfast, Ireland with a minor physical deformity. He was born with only one joint in his thumb. He would later tell others that he was extremely clumsy in sports because of the deformity.
A failure in sports can be a painful thing for a young person. I’m not sure how he felt about it. I do know this: Because of his inability to excel in sports he began to write.
He died in 1964, and almost everything he ever wrote is still in print and selling very well today. They make movies out of his stories and he is admired around the world.
He may be the most popular Christian apologist of all time. But if he had not had a physical deformity, he may never have published a word and the world would not recognize the name C. S. Lewis. We would never know The Land of Narnia or the clear compelling logic of Mere Christianity or the wit of The Screwtape Letters.
What must have seemed a bitter providence for a few years has brought great sweetness to the world. Lewis applied to study at Oxford in 1917. He would need to pass to “Responsions” an exam required for all students. There was a math portion, and Lewis was strong in humanities but weak in math. Apparently he spent his time reading and writing and not ciphering. Lewis failed the exam because of the math section. He was not accepted to study at Oxford.
He volunteered to serve in WWI. He was wounded in battle on April 15, 1918. He lived, but would not return to the war. About that time Oxford, in a show of good will toward veterans, suspended the Responsions exam for soldiers returning from war. Because of that he was able to study and eventually teach at Oxford.
He wasn’t good at sports. He wasn’t good at math, but his gifts continue to bless the world. Don’t mourn what you can’t do. Use the unique gifts God gave you to do what He put you on earth to do and trust in his providential care even when things are dark or difficult or confusing. Sometimes what seems good is bad and what seems bad is good.
Joyce and I love you.
Bro. Tommy