I’ve never been so close to the wheels of an airplane before! This is how I felt as I made my way from St. Maarten to Anguilla recently, on my way to a sports conference. The six-minute ride took place on what appeared to be a 14-seater plane and we were barely 1000 feet in the air. The view of the ocean, the shore and the mountains was breathtaking, although being so close to the wheels of the small aircraft was-let’s say-different.
Having arrived in Anguilla, it was hard not to quickly appreciate the beauty of this Caribbean island with a population of under 14000 inhabitants. The people were warm, friendly and helpful and the local food was delicious. Then there were the beaches-majestic and peaceful.
But guess what? I almost missed out! I was oh so close to turning back when I went on a morning walk looking for the sea and sand. I made a few wrong turns along a winding road which was lined with tall grass on either side and so I started to doubt myself. Eventually I stumbled upon a salt pond thinking that I had arrived, but that was still not it. Not too long after, a lady who had earlier given me directions passed in a car and said: “You’re just a few seconds from the beach.”
Imagine that. I almost gave up when I was mere seconds from my destination. What a life lesson I learned that morning. In life, we could be so close to a major breakthrough, so near to achieving a noble objective, but we give up. Self-doubt kicks in and we don’t put up a fight. We turn back when victory was just around the corner.
Are you currently pursuing a professional, personal, educational or spiritual goal? Have the inevitable obstacles tempted you to quit? I have one word of advice: persevere. Keep pressing on. John Maxwell often says, “Everything worthwhile in life is uphill.”
Something precious is waiting for you on the other side of the hurdle. Practice the discipline of perseverance and watch in amazement as you reap the rewards of not giving up.
This Post Has 4 Comments
This is very much on point; sometimes the breakthrough is just around the corner! Thanks for sharing.
So true Jason. Thank you.
Very inspirational. Thank you for sharing this. I too have had many “I’ve had enough” moments and felt like calling it quits. Even Christ wanted to call it quits when faced with going to the cross, but His loving Father sent angels to strengthen Him. That same loving Father on many occasions showed me that by persevering, hanging in there just a little bit longer pays off; in my work, in my ministry and so many other areas. I learned to persevere and trust in Him more than anything or anyone else because when all else fails, He never does! Thanks again for sharing this!
Beautifully expressed Andrew. Thanks so much for these perspectives.