Making America Good Again: Perseverance

Perseverance is much on my mind these days.  Thank you to all who are praying for my sister-in-law Kate as she perseveres in her goal to walk again after a spinal cord injury and for her family as they seek to find and provide the best care for her.  

I read through the Bible every year or so and each time a different theme seems to grab my attention.  This year that theme is "perseverance."   I could give you lots of examples:  Moses, Job, Jeremiah and, now that I'm in the New Testament, Paul.

Watch this video for some more contemporary examples: "Famous people and the perseverance: 2.59 mins will change your life forever."  All of these people overcame great difficulties, their own failures, and the opposition of others to achieve their goals.

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BF04JExesYw

How did they do it?  What is the "magic" formula?  It's not magic at all.  There are two ingredients:  accountability and a goal.  As a Preacher Girl, let me put this into terms of faith, but I think all of you will recognize what I mean.

I know I am accountable to God who has a plan for my life.  That means I must do my best to not listen to the negative voices and circumstances that distract me from my goal of being who I believe God created me to be.  Deep inside, you know who you are and what you are supposed to be doing with your life.  Call it your conscience if you don't want to call that voice God, but listen to what you know is good and true.

Magic Johnson knew he was an athlete; Oprah Winfrey knew she was a communicator; Thomas Edison knew he was an inventor; Abraham Lincoln knew he was a leader of men.  They persevered because they knew who they were and didn't listen to the naysayers; they didn't give up when obstacles blocked their path;  they didn't surrender when their own failures got in the way of progress.  They persevered.

I'm sure you can think of other examples from history and from people you have known.  Perseverance is one of the traits that describes much of the American spirit, from explorers, to settlers, to inventors, artists and entrepreneurs.  It is a key to their success and the success of America.

So what about you?  Are you ready to be among those who will keep on keeping on, stand your ground, leave no stone unturned, stay the course, plug away and stick to your guns?

As Marie Curie said:  "Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."

To Make America Good Again, we must persevere as individuals, families and a nation.