I was delighted to discover that an obscure cable television channel is showing reruns of one of my favorite old shows, Mission: Impossible. From the unique theme song to the plan and the payoff, I was always on the edge of my seat.

Jim Phelps, the master strategist, would receive an assignment by tape recording in some oddball location (“Good luck, Jim!”), then gather his brilliant team (the beauty, the actor, the strongman, and the genius), display the nifty gadgets (a lipstick that detonates an explosion, a table that “reads” the playing cards placed on it), and reveal some of the plan, but not all.

As the show progressed, the viewer’s question was always, “Is what just happened part of the plan or not?” Oh, no! The bad guys have seen through Rollin’s disguise! Not to worry, they were supposed to find him out. The identity he’s assumed now is the important one. Uh-oh, someone’s going to shoot Jim. Whew! Barney has replaced the bullets with blanks.

But sometimes, the intrepid team ran into a glitch that was unexpected. Occasionally, the solution was as simple as putting on an accent, picking up a broom, and pretending to be the janitor. But more often, the plan had to be completely reworked on the spot, as group members improvised a rescue, a romance, or a repair. Of course, they still accomplished their mission. Fiction granted them the ability to do the impossible.

Sometimes, it seems as if God has given us a “Mission: Impossible”: how about the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, how are we supposed to get that done?. We may ask, “Is what just happened a part of God’s plan? Or have I messed it up so badly that I’ll never get back on track? Is God really in charge here, or do I have to improvise?”

No, we don’t have to improvise. The truth is we cannot accomplish this mission…. without God that is.  That is the secret.  He is the God of the impossible.  Think through the miracles of the Bible.  How many times have saints found themselves in an impossible situation, what did they do?  The had faith and God showed up.

While we can never truly understand how God works in our imperfect, disobedient lives, we can be sure of one thing: with Him, all things are possible.

Pastor Shawn Harnish (adapted from Sylvia Alloway)