Many years ago my uncle brought back some pieces of glass from Niagara Falls. These pieces of glass had been at the bottom of the falls for quite some time and, amazingly, had no rough edges. You would think that water would not have that kind of power over glass, but the persistence of the falls had reformed the broken pieces of glass to remove all rough edges. I believe that in life we encounter broken dreams, but like those broken pieces of glass, they can be reformed by our persistence.
Perhaps the following story illustrates the value of persistence best. The story begins with that of a young boy whose mother died of milk sickness when he was just nine years old. As far as schooling goes, he only had 18 months of formal education. Also, his first love died of what was presumed to be typhoid fever. This young man later married and had several sons. However, only one son would survive into adulthood. One son died of tuberculosis and the other of a fever. The fourth son died at age 18.
The young man in this story was eventually diagnosed with what we would call clinical depression. However, he decided to run for the state legislature in 1832, but lost (he was eighth in a field of thirteen). He ran again for the state legislature in 1834 and won. Nevertheless, the death of a close friend, Ann Rutledge in 1835, affected him profoundly. He did finally win a seat as his state’s representative to the U.S. Congress in 1846 and later sought the job of commissioner of the General Land Office, but lost. In 1860, however, he was elected the 16th President of the United States and one of the most beloved Presidents of all time. His name is Abraham Lincoln.
Perhaps you have experienced some similar setbacks that allow you to identify with the aforementioned story. However, the Bible states in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Just remember that persistence will win out regardless of what you are going through. Perhaps the words of the following poem illustrate this best:
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Author unknown
