Pressing On to Victory

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." - Galatians 6:9

I stumbled across one of my all time favorite poems that has encouraged me over the years in my many dreams I have pursued. It reminds me so much of Johnny because he is one who has achieved so much in life by not quitting. I tend to be a great starter but not always a great finisher. I was always ready to plunge in to some new endeavor and sometimes my enthusiasm outweighed my fore thought. So consequently, though I did achieve some wonderful goals, there are trails of many things I did not finish.

Johnny is different. He did not tread lightly into anything. His perceptive mind always thought things out. If he committed to something, I always knew he would see it through to the end. He has always been a cautious man who always considers all aspects of a situation. He is also a great prognosticator of world events. His passion is history - whatever era - whatever location - but his favorite history is that of his Southern heritage. He takes great pride in his ancestry and all the good things the South represented over time. He loves the fierce spirit of his ancestors who fought so hard for a mighty cause of protecting all they loved.

It is that same spirit that I see alive and well in Johnny today as he fights this latest "good fight" but allowing the awesome power of the Holy Spirit to lead this charge. He reminds me of the story of the mighty eagle who, when his feathers are frayed and his beak is knotted with hard deposits, seeks to soar to the highest "rock" that is closest to greatest light of "the sun" (the son?) to be renewed and restored. He then plucks his thousands of feathers one by one until he is naked and totally frail and vulnerable, perched upon that mighty rock and soaking in the brilliant rays of the sun. His feathers all grow back. The renewal process takes fourty days. Pretty coincidental no? Then off he flies again back to life and back to living.

Isn't God and all He designs so amazing? It takes my breath away. It gives me hope to remember how much God is in control of each and every one of our lives. And if we will just open our hearts and listen to His instructions He always leads us to victory. So I send encouragement to all of you, to give to others in your life who are fighting their own battles. It seems we all know someone with cancer these days. My message is to "don't quit!" It is also the title of the poem I want to share with you. The author is anonymous - but the theme is well known and one we all need to keep close at heart.

DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong, as they often 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 everyone of us sometimes learns;
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won if he's stuck it out.
Don't give up when the pace seems slow -
You might suceed 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 winner's cup,
And 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 can never tell just how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the light when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worse that you musn't quit.