Man's effort vs. God's mercy

'It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy'. Rom 9:16
Our calling, gifts and opportunities do not depend on our desire or efforts. Let's remember that every good and perfect gift is from above. This is something important that we need to remember. God is primarily interested in our heart and attention. We ought fix our eyes in Jesus.

I've been considering these passages because I'm working on gathering all the requirements to get the mexican visa. It's not easy getting it because a lot of illegal immigrants enter the U.S. through the Mexican border. Sometimes I struggle with thoughts as if everything depended on me. But just then, I realize that even if I have to work hard on this, God has the last word. So. let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.