Dear God!
by Gail Ramsey

Dear God!

      Why does everything seem so hard? Will it EVER get easier? I know that according to your word, I am an overcomer and more than a conqueror, but most of the time I just feel overwhelmed and defeated.

Dear Overwhelmed.

      You ARE "more than a conqueror". You ARE an "overcomer". God said it. He cannot lie. That settles it!

      Sometimes we need to shake ourselves up and remind ourselves that it's the devil's job to try to wear out the saints. Then, we need to remember that we CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

      I often find that it helps to consider the lives of others who have overcome far greater challenges than I am facing. Itzhak Perlman, for example, wanted to become a violinist from the age of three. He began by playing a toy fiddle. His parents, thrilled at his love of music, bought him a secondhand, full sized violin for six dollars.

      Perlman was stricken with polio at age four, and it took nearly a year for him to recover. Using crutches and leg braces, he still practiced his violin every day. At five years old he entered the Tel Aviv Academy of Music. His parents later moved the family to New York so Itzhak could study at Julliard School for the Performing Arts.

      To make a long story short, Itzhak Perlman's debut at Carnegie Hall gained the attention of the world. He went on to win international music competitions; and even his critics said, "There is nothing in the field of violin playing that he cannot do." God is no respecter of persons. Ask Him to give you the strength, courage, and endurance that He has given to others!

Gail Ramsey, an ordained minister, portrayed the role of Susan Moore on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She had other roles on the TV programs Mike Hammer, Generations and California Dreams. Today, Ramsey leads Semeion Ministries, where readers can write her at P.O. Box 77, Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43063.