Figure skating is a sport that takes great determination and precision. When I was seven years old I began taking lessons at our local figure skating club and continued to for eleven years. At each practice I would work my hardest to tackle new moves, figures, jumps and spins that my coach taught me until I had them perfected. And in my one-on-one lessons with her, there were two words that I was never allowed to say: “I can’t”.

An axle is a jump that is a 540-degree rotation in the air, launched from the outside edge of the blade and off of the left foot. This jump is particularly unique because it is taken off of from the outside edge of the blade rather than the inside edge of the blade as the majority of the jumps are performed on. And because of this, it is often one of the more difficult jumps for a skater to learn, but is a necessary step in the groundwork for the more advanced jumps.

When I was first introduced to the jump, I was rather fearless. My coach showed me the form of the jump and was extremely excited as I almost landed it on my first try! With great determination I began to keep trying out this new skill and felt confident that I could learn it. But the precision wasn’t yet set and the first time I fell, I fell hard.

My coach helped me get back up and I brushed the ice off of myself from the fall. But because of the shock and pain, I started setting limits on myself. And after that one fall, each attempt I made to learn this fundamental jump ended without success. My coach tried her best to encourage me to never give up on it and keep trying, but I chose instead to tell myself, “I can’t”. And to be honest, I still have never landed that axle with precision.

Although I had mentally blocked myself on one of my moves, my coach didn’t allow my growth to stop there though. She started teaching me the more advanced double jumps and an axle that takes off from the inside edge. The ironic thing is that these jumps are actually more difficult than the axle in their rotation and the only reason that I could never learn the regular axle is simply because I said, “I can’t.”

When it comes to our personal growth, what limits do we set on ourselves? We have a great coach, Jesus Christ, who has experienced the challenges that we face in being human and yet maintained love in His perfection. He has given us the means to get back up when we fall and to try again. He has given us the power and instruction to complete and overcome our weaknesses.  The question is, when will we stop saying I can’t and say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).