The Hope of Impossibility

Often we're given an impossible task. The Savior's apostles were given an impossible task when they were asked to feed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. The Lord never expects us to face any trial, however massive or trivial, without His help. He gives us many tasks that would be impossible if we faced them solely with our own strength and our own understanding. But the point of impossible tasks is to help us let go of the idea of impossibility. It has never been about our own strength and resources. It's good that we're growing and accumulating experience and wisdom and strength, but God gives us tasks that are so far out of our reach, not to fill us with despair that we will never be good enough, but to fill us with hope. If we're forced to rely on the Lord for the impossible, then we may feel more comfortable trusting the Lord and turning to Him even when we are faced with a possible task that is not beyond our strength. As much as we need God, God needs us. We can't do the impossible without God's help and He won't deprive us of our opportunities for growth. Christ wanted to feed those five thousand, but He also wanted to give His apostles the chance to learn and grow. He could have clapped his hands and had manna rain down from heaven, but He gave His Apostles the chance to face an impossible task and then turn to Him for a miracle when they couldn't do it by themselves.