Perseverance

Recently, when asked to speak to a group of women on the topic of perseverance, I didn't have to dig very deep to realize I have first hand knowledge of the subject. After all that's what brought me to the place of blogging (My Story).

Before I felt qualified to speak on the subject, I first felt the need to clarify my understanding of the word persevere and its close relation, endure. Because, as I've found, our English language uses these two words interchangeably. Assuming they are two different words I pressed on to determine how they are so closely related.

After some time of what felt like chasing my own tail (because believe me at times it was a circular path to separate these two words as they referenced each other to define each other), the "light bulb" moment came. I found the above pictured quote from Charles Spurgeon. Ah, ha! I said to myself. That's it! Because I have found when words are used interchangeably, yet have distinct definitions, the power in both words becomes diminished as the lines between them become blurred.

Charles Spurgeon's little snail open the door of my understanding. This is how I described it to the women as I spoke to them:

I persevered in preparing to speak to you so now you must endure!

Like the snail on its way to the ark, to persevere means there must be constant forward motion. Sometimes that means literal forward motion and other times it's merely sheer determination not to give up.

Drawing from my past, my highly motivated efforts to wean off the drug poisoning my body was driven by pure perseverance, while endurance enabled me to withstand the effects of withdrawal. Unfortunately the process of drug withdrawal from benzodiazepines requires both. There is no way around it. There are ways to mitigate the effects, but there will be the trial of perseverance with endurance.

The old adage, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" certainly held true for me in this case. Withdrawal from this insidious drug is dangerous. It can kill. Through perseverance and endurance I came out stronger than I ever believed possible.

Having my faith strengthened through perseverance is primarily what I wanted to share as I spoke to the women. My experience is nothing compared to what others have had to persevere and endure. Everyone at one time or another will persevere through something. Right? That is one of our common bonds of life. If we aren't learning in the process we completely miss the opportunity for growth (that forward motion of life),  and risk stagnating in bitterness, or worse.

I've found life itself is the process of persevering, haven't you? It's what we learn through the process that produces the lasting, positive life changing effects. And for believers it is faith building because God has promised to meed our every need.

Please, I don't want you to get the idea that I stood before those women and painted a maudlin picture of the martyr's view of perseverance. Quite the contrary. I've learned some beautiful lessons about what it means to persevere...and it's not been about me.

What I've learned and continue to learn is, God is bigger than anything I must persevere or endure. It was His powerful presence meeting me moment by moment then and His continued presence meeting me daily now as I persevere toward the future He has assured me of - step by step, day by day, like the snail.

Are you enduring something today. Allow Christ to give you the strength to persevere.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philip. 4:13