Become a Possibilitarian - April 25, 2018

An Arkie's Faith column from the April 25, 2018, issue of The Mena Star.

For the past few years, my wife and I have met my sister and her husband in Eureka Springs each April. Eureka Springs is about halfway between our homes, so we can easily meet there for a weekend. We have had great times over the years during our spring get-togethers.

Each year we try to find an interesting cabin, bed and breakfast, or cottage where we can stay together over the weekend. This year we rented the Sunflower Cottage. It is located on First Street with a porch that looks out over downtown Eureka Springs. Sunflower Cottage was originally built in 1880 and has been updated into a very comfortable place to stay. We enjoyed staying so close to downtown. We were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go and never had to find and pay for a place to park.

There was rain in the forecast for the weekend, but there were no more than a few drops until late Saturday evening. We enjoyed walking the streets of Eureka Springs and sitting on the front porch of our cottage, hanging out with the resident cat. Our favorite thing to do in Eureka Springs is to eat, and we enjoyed wonderful meals at our favorite restaurants, Local Flavor, Mud Street Cafe. Aquarius Taqueria, and Thai House.

Sunflower Cottage is painted bright yellow and decorated in a quaint and whimsical style that is very Eurekan. There is a piece of wall art hanging in the bathroom that caught my attention. It was a print with the words, “become a possibilitarian,” across the bottom. The print intrigued me, and I found that it was by the artist, Kelly Rae Roberts.

Kelly had been working for years as a medical social worker when she started painting.  She began to use the part of her that cared deeply for others as a catalyst for her artwork. She says that “when I finally put paint onto paper, my heart + life exploded with renewed passion and joy.” She goes on, “an important part of my journey was realizing that I hadn’t abandoned my former social worker self or the people I’d helped. I was still listening, sharing, healing, navigating messy emotions, making an impact — except I was now using a paintbrush in a studio, instead of a clipboard in a hospital. Same message. New medium.” Her website has the header, “I’m Kelly Rae Roberts, and I’m a Possibilitarian.”

I decided that I need to become a possibilitarian. Jesus tells us that “all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23 (NKJV) How many times have you said to yourself, “that will never happen!” It is very easy to get discouraged and to postpone our hopes and dreams, feeling that they will never happen. We often keep our focus on what is instead of on what could be.

Sometimes a door is closed, and we can’t see a way forward. I know that I have experienced closed doors in my life. I recently had a door closed to me that I worked on for over 35 years. I now realize that even though that door is closed, there are an endless amount of other possibilities. I need to become a possibilitarian, and so do you.

You and I are created in the image and likeness of God. We have gifts and talents that will allow us to make a positive contribution to society. You and I are unique and special because God made us that way. He “has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (GNT) God has created us for a life full of possibilities. I believe that we, as followers of Jesus, should be the most innovative and creative people on the planet because we serve a God who says all things are possible.

Often we can’t see the possibilities in our life because we are trying to reach them on our own. In John 15:5 (NKJV) Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” For the possibilities in our life to become realities, we need Jesus in our life. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Imagine the possibilities when we work with Jesus.

It is all about Jesus and not us. It is about what He has done, is doing and will do. It is about trusting Jesus in this life and believing the He is the one who created all things, knows all things and can do all things; even the impossible. Dan Peek, of the group America, had this concept in mind when he wrote the title song from his debut album as a solo artist, “All Things Are Possible.” In the chorus, he sings, “All things are possible. With you by my side. All things are possible. With you to be my guide.”

Jesus knows that for us there are so many things that are impossible. In Luke 18:27 (NKJV) Jesus tells us that “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” God has possibilities in store for us that are greater than anything we can ever humanly achieve.

Gentle Reader, if you are facing what seems to you an impossible situation, give it to Jesus, and trust Him to see you through it. Say with the prophet Jeremiah, “Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV) There is nothing that is too hard for God. Ask Him to help you become a possibilitarian!