I’m not big enough
A few weeks before giving birth to our second child I panicked and a little fear come on me. No, it wasn’t the impeding pain I was about to endure. It was about my capacity to love another child. I was already filled up and overflowing with love for our first-born. Would I have to halve that love and share it? What if we had three and four children? Would the love shared be enough? Of course I soon learned that my cup of love kept filling up and overflowing equally as each child arrived and my capacity to love expanded.
Increased capacity
A decade or so ago my husband and I were experiencing heavy hearts and I remember us struggling to pray words. We just groaned. We came across Jabez’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:11, so we just recited that prayer together everyday. Time has passed, the problem remains but our capacity to deal with it has been enlarged.
What to ask God for
When our hearts are open we acknowledge God and move toward Him. James 4:8 says, ‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.’ Praying with an open heart like Jabez is not a formula for success but it’s about a relationship with our heavenly Father. He hears us when we call Him. You may need God to enlarge your capacity to love that difficult person, commit to some study, sign a petition, lead a group, give more money to world aid relief funds, say no to violence, take a job or be a stay at home mum.
You could be surprised
Or you may not recognise a need now, but if you ask God to enlarge your borders you may be surprised in the future how God has changed you. Here’s an example from my life. When I started counselling, I was only confident to counsel other women. Then I expanded into ‘couples therapy’ as many women had relationship problems. I was content to keep my focus primarily on helping women until earlier this year when I was asked to write and facilitate a pilot program for men prisoners at Mobilong Prison at Murray Bridge. The course was successful and I have just completed a second course. If you had told me even two years ago I would be volunteering in a men’s prison I wouldn’t have believed you. God opened a door and enlarged my capacity to walk through it. God can enlarge your borders too.
