Perseverance
How to hang in there.
It takes patience, practice, prayer, and persistent pesky potholes to develop rock solid perseverance. One that never quits, never gives up, and never gives in when truth and goodness are on the line.
Sadly, in a sense, patience-development requires problems.
I know that’s a frustrating thought, but patience is the ability to put up with annoying situations and people without losing inner peace. And the proof that there is inner peace is developing the ability to not lash out, explode, or fall apart.
It begins to operate well when we realize that whatever is annoying us is insignificant compared to what is lifting and holding us.
It is realizing our blessings are huge and our problems, in comparison, are manageable, and even opportunities to improve our ability to serve with love; to not be so selfish.
To improve any important skill requires practice.
Practice is controlled and thoughtful repetition. It is not repeating the same mistakes over and over but learning from each one in order to possibly make new more interesting mistakes that will test and deepen us as we keep moving forward.
Prayer helps place our problems into the arms of someone who can best handle them.
It is never dealing with a problem apart from healthy continuous conversations with our heavenly dad.
Potholes are only a problem for travelers, people with the mission to get to Point B. They rattle us and delay us, but they also strengthen our resolve.
Over time all of this living through problems that, at the time seemed insurmountable, eventually bring us to having developed a particularly unique attribute.
It is like a pearl or a diamond — both examples of beauty out of irritation and immense pressure.
Perseverance is not noticeable or even necessary — until it is required.
His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.”
Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:18-21 (ESV)
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.