Perseverance

On the sink in our bathroom sat a small chalk board, with the heading, I love you because… and then we took turns filling in the blank with the reasons we loved one another.  The chalk board remains on the sink and the last thing I wrote on it has not been erased.  I simply wrote two words to complete the sentence I love you because—You Persevere.  My husband was known for prayer and faith along with many other qualities, and one of those qualities was that he persevered.  

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Over the past year, I have reflected on the many times my husband persevered during our 18 years of marriage, and his perseverance was a ginormous show of his loving heart toward me. Like the time he was in quite a lot of pain due to dental issues, but he planned and carried out our anniversary date on a Gondola ride through the Naples Canals in Long Beach, California.  No one would know by the picture we had taken that day that he was in excruciating pain.  Even though I tried to talk him out of it, he was determined we were going to celebrate our anniversary; and so, he persevered through the pain he was in.  

He persevered in amazing ways in order to serve the Lord and not let any kind of hindrances inhibit him from carrying out the work that the Lord had called him to do.  The last several years of his life it was very painful for him to walk long distances, but he persevered and kept going.  The last four years of his life he was able to use a Zinger motorized wheel chair to get around due to the Lord’s goodness and friends' generosity.  I watched him persevere through physical pain, difficult trials, and what seemed like insurmountable obstacles.  He would be the first to say, and I heard him say this often, The Lord Jesus Christ suffered greatly, and though He could have, He didn’t call the angels, but endured the cross; and I can do all things through Christ. 

You maybe going through a dark trial, or suffering some sharp pain, or facing troubles that seem like they are insurmountable. Let me encourage you to look up and look to the Lord Jesus Christ.  He will give you the fortitude to press on. He will give you the help you need.  He will give you the strength to persevere and not give up.  My beloved husband was an amazing man, but he was only a man; however, he was a man that depended upon and looked to the Lord Jesus Christ. You and I have the same Lord to look to and lean upon, and the Lord Jesus will give us the same strength and ability to persevere through any kind of difficulty we may be facing.  Let me challenge you to do what my husband did, and what the Psalmist did in Psalm 121:1-2, and lift up your eyes and look toward the Lord, who is our help. I saw how it helped my husband to persevere, I have experienced how it has helped me to persevere, and I know it will help you to persevere as well. Let me encourage you to read the entire chapter of Psalm 121 so that you can be further strengthened to persevere.

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Reflection

If this has encouraged you today, please let us know with a heart. ♥️

Write Psalm 121:1-2 on a card and place it somewhere visible

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments so that we too can be encouraged! Let's sharpen one another to persevere.