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Life has a way of throwing you a curve, doesn’t it? Just about the time you think you have everything figured out — bam! Where did that come from? But life happens. And what you and I have to do is dig down deep for enough courage to get up and try again.
Carole Marshall writes about an excellent example of someone that took a hit in life, but kept on going:
“The other night Jack and I watched a Hallmark TV drama called ‘See How She Runs.’ In it a 40-year-old schoolteacher decided to become a jogger and eventually entered the 26 mile Boston Marathon. It’s a grueling test of heart, mind and body.”
To finish the race became her goal, and despite being jeered at and assaulted, she didn’t lose sight of it. When the day of the race came she faced her ultimate test. As she ran huge blisters developed on her feet. She was even hit and injured by a bicycle.
Several miles short of the finish line and utterly exhausted, she kept going. Then, within a few hundred yards of her goal, late at night when most of the other runners had finished or dropped out, she fell flat on her face and was too tired to care or get up.
But her friends wouldn’t let her quit. One of them gathered a crude tape across the finish line, and they began to cheer her on. She lifted her head, saw the tape, and realized her goal was within sight. With the last ounce of effort she could muster, she got back up, and with nimble but certain determination, she ran the last few yards across the finish line.
The truth of the matter is we are all just a bunch of moving “stumblers.” You heard me right, “stumblers.” Maybe I’m coining a new word, but that’s human nature, we are all prone to stumble along life’s way.
In light of that fact, we need to do what one old-timer used to advise others: “It’s not the falling that’s yer undoing; it’s not gittin’ back up that will gitch ya!”
Couldn’t say it any better if I tried.
Speaking of “curves,” they say Babe Ruth struck out twice as many times as he hit home runs. Did he quit? No, he just got back up to the plate and took another swing at the ball, and that’s what we’ve got to do — keep swinging.
The Olympic dream is fulfilled in many lives because athletes are committed to train for years as they prepare for the moment. It takes tremendous perseverance on the part of the participant, but the results are well worth the investment.
So it is with most anything in life that is worthwhile. Perseverance is the key to true success. In the words of the great prime minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill: “Never, never, never, ever give up!”
We can even learn lessons of perseverance from nature.
Milton Olson wrote the following passage in a similar spirit on this matter. He calls it Lessons from Geese.
This time of the year, geese often are seen flying overhead. As each bird flaps its wings it creates an updraft for the bird following. By flying in a V formation the whole flock adds greater flying range than if the birds flew alone. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly along. It quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go. We will be willing to accept their help as well as give our help to them.
When the lead goose grows tired, it rotates back into formation, and another goose flies at the point position. It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese we humans are dependent upon each other.
The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging and not something else.
When a goose becomes sick or is wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own join another formation or catch up with the flock.
If we have as much sense as geese, we will also stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong. It takes courage to keep going, but we’ll be glad whenever we get to wherever it is we’re going!
Randy Sheridan of Burleson is a speaker, counselor and
mediator. He can be reached
at drsheridan@aol.com.
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