The Power of Persistence
Hey there friend,
I’d ask how you are doing, but I am getting the feeling that everyone is feeling the weight of the world right now. We are all facing giants and battles that we wern’t prepared to fight. We are all sore, achey, tired and just about to give up. I have been thinking a lot lately about the reasons why we keep fighting. Why do I keep getting out of bed every day? Why do I show up every morning? Believe me when I tell you there have been many mornings where I would like to pull the comforter over my head and go back to sleep, and many times I have. I think we have to remember that it’s ok not to be ok right now! In fact the funny thing is I wrote a whole post on that several months ago!! Who would have thought that we would still be in the trenches of 2020 in October. Because let’s face it, we are getting pretty beat up.
Now I could layer some cliche phrases in here and tell you that you cannot see the beauty of the rainbow until you’ve been through the winds of the storm, but I won’t. I want to take this another direction and focus on something equally as beautiful.
The Power of Persistence.
There is a beautiful quality in mankind that I believe to be underrated. We celebrate it in movies and we causally bring it up in conversations. “I don’t know how she does it, she just keeps fighting, she keeps persisting.” Its the reason why ‘Rocky’ had how many sequels?? The power of persistence is a quality that I believe was stitched into the very makeup of all of us. I truly believe that God has place this characteristic in all of us, at the very core of who we are. You see it all around you and you don’t even realize it. It’s the strength that comes out of nowhere at the last second. It’s the 3 am wake up call when your newborn wants to be fed again. You can see it inside yourself when you find that last ounce of patience for your sassy 3 year old. We can marvel at it as the single mother takes the graveyard shift to provide for her family. We all feel the emotion well up as we cheer on those football movies when the unlikely underdog finds the will-power to get that last touchdown. There is a reason we feel emotional. It is inside all of us and it’s beautiful and impressive.
Well, here we are ladies and gentlemen. We are weary, worn and just about to throw in the towel…. heck I’d understand if you wanna chuck that towel. We are angry, emotional, exhausted and over it.
I refuse to let 2020 win.
I honestly feel like this is the moment in 2020 where Elle Woods tells her ex boyfriend, “I’ll show you how valuable Elle Woods can be!” Because, it’s time. It’s time to find that power within and push. I know this is weird but if you have ever been in labor you know that by the time you get to the pushing phase, you’re already so exhausted and done…. where do we find the strength to push?
We know what is worth fighting for.
*nerd alert*
I love The Lord of the Rings. I think the writing is stunning and the symbolism is breathtaking. There is a scene that makes me cry every time I watch it and I still go back to the words all the time.
“It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo.
The ones that really mattered.
Full of darkness and danger they were,
and sometimes you didn't want to know the end.
Because how could the end be happy.
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened.
But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow.
Even darkness must pass.
A new day will come.
And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
Those were the stories that stayed with you.
That meant something.
Even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand.
I know now.
Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t.
Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo : What are we holding on to, Sam?
Sam : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”
Listen, I know that right now it seams like all hope is lost. You turn on the news and just get more depressed. Everyone is fighting, everyone is mad and everyone thinks that they are right. There’s a pandemic, riots, lockdown, loss, grief, confusion, judgment, malice, hate and fear. This would be the time where most people would say its not worth it anymore.
It’s time to fight.
It’s time to push through.
It’s time to persist.
I recently re-read the Bible story about the disciples on the boat during a storm. I think what struck me this time is how scared the disciples where during the storm. Originally I would just say it was because they were human and even though Jesus was with them, they still had the right to be scared of the storm. Right? Well, yes, but have you ever thought about the fact that these were guys that left their entire lives behind to follow Jesus through every part of His ministry? I think the issue with that particular storm is the fact that they didn’t see it coming. I think they got comfortable with following Jesus around and watching Him perform miracle after miracle, so they were immune from storms right?? Wrong.
“The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
(Mathew 8:23-27)
Sometimes if feel like I get comfortable relying on God (which I should) that I forget that storms in this life are inevitable. It just means that God has placed His power and His strength inside us to battle though the storms.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
The more I realize how weak I am, the more I realize where my strength comes from.
The world is groaning, hurting and about to count itself out.
Let’s show the world how we rise. Let’s show the world the strength that we have access too. Let’s show ourselves that we have the power to keep going, keep fighting and keep pushing.
If you are reading this and saying, that’s a cute idea but it’s not practical in real life.
I hear you, I feel you and I am you.
I am not saying that it will be easy. This is coming from someone who has days of crippling anxiety. I’m trying new medicine for my newly diagnosed Adhd and I have had a pretty rough weekend. Saturday I spent most of the day in bed with a horrible dark cloud over my head. Still in the midst of the darkness I felt a small pea sized ounce of hope and strength. I stood up, I cried, I kept going. I went back to bed and then I tried again, and again, and again. That’s the power of persistence. That little voice saying, “Do it again.”
I refuse to let 2020 win. I refuse to bow out. I know that I have a last round stored up somewhere within me. I also know who I have in my corner.
So I will stand up. I will rise. I will continue to show up for my kiddos. I will continue to show up for my husband. I will continue to show up for my friends and family. Most importantly I will choose to show up for myself. I will continue to take care of my body and I will continue to take care of my mind. I will continue to push through the storms and push through the wind. I will adjust my sail and use the wind to push me further. I will wipe the dirt and sweat and keep going. I will allow myself to grieve, cry and I will pick myself up and keep going. I will continue to serve my family and continue to serve my friends. I will continue to grow and learn and better myself. I will continue to learn about myself and make myself the best me I can be.
Babe, you have got it within you.
That power to stand, the power to push and the power to keep going.
The Power of Persistence.
XOXO, KB
