The Limitation is the Lesson

In the first half of my second yoga class of the day frustration fell on me when a harsh ache in my right knee kept me from doing some very familiar poses. Between the pain and the anger I felt towards my body I found myself noticing how well everyone else was doing. I realized I craved the silent approval that I believed came with keeping up with the class. My only child extrovert personality could not handle being the invalid in the corner, or even worse the chick in the back with the bum knee. I wanted to push my body, push until I could no longer do so. However, in my heart I heard a small voice say "The limitation is the lesson"

Once I started trying to see the lesson in this limitation I sat out of the painful poses and gave my body a rest. I soon realized all the opportunities I had been missing to encourage the people around me who were trying some difficult poses for the first time. I began to see that I was not the only one who needed a pat on the back. I also noticed the amazing yogis in my class who never seemed to ask for attention or praise while doing impossibly difficult poses. Lesson: Its not all about me. But I knew that, didn't I? So then what else?

I have a healthy body that tells me right away when something is wrong. I have a sensible mind that for the most part knows better than to push too hard. I also have a heart that is open to the lessons God has for me. Like the song says "Why should I be discouraged and why should the shadows come?" I know God has my back. Lately I have come face to face with a lot of my limitations in life. I have also found myself abundantly provided for and surrounded by some outrageously amazing people in spite of or perhaps because of those limitations.

It makes me think of the apostle Paul and the thorn in his side (constant challenge or affliction) he speaks of in 2 Corinthians. Paul had experienced some of the privileges that came with knowing Jesus as a homey and Savior. Healing power, visions, prophecies, and lots of other cool supernatural stuff. To keep him humble God allowed one particularly annoying if not painful thing to haunt Paul's life. When Paul asked God to take it away from him the bible says" But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."


The lesson: Weakness is only weakness if we let our egos define us. Our limitations are really opportunities to find other strengths, preferably one like humility, which allows us to connect with people and especially with God.


And for those of you who don't quite get how the desire to push yourself in yoga class can get out of control here is a little example of the the heartfelt goals that our egos can turn into obsessions.

God Bless and Namaste Y'all!!