The Hand He Never Had

On September 4, 1993, Jim Abbott stood on the mound at Yankee Stadium and did something only a handful of pitchers in baseball history have ever accomplished — he threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians. What made it extraordinary wasn't just the feat itself. Abbott was born without a right hand.

From childhood, he refused to let his limitation define him. He learned to balance his glove on the end of his right wrist, deliver the pitch left-handed, then rapidly switch the glove over to field the ball. Scouts doubted him. Commentators questioned whether he belonged at the highest level. Abbott kept showing up, kept throwing, kept competing — all the way to the major leagues.

The Apostle Paul knew something about courage in the face of limitation. When he pleaded with the Lord three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, God answered, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul didn't receive the miracle he requested. He received something better — the assurance that God's strength would fill exactly the space his weakness left open.

Courage isn't the absence of limitation. It's the willingness to step onto the mound anyway, trusting that what the Almighty has placed in your hand is enough. Whatever you're facing this week, don't wait until you feel complete. Step up. God has never required perfection — only willingness.