In the long ago I discovered that I am like most people. Of course this was a big letdown. The only hope to which I could lay hold was the truth. I am not on earth to be as good or better than anyone else. I am here, by the grace and will of God, to be the best that I can via the power and plan God has laid out for me. I am confident from studying the scripture that the Holy Spirit enables the man or woman who is immersed in discovering and following God’s will.
The most frustrating discovered truth about my own life, and perhaps many others, is simply that we fail to persist. Commenting on his many failures, the iconic inventor, Thomas Edison stated:
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
The world is full of once bright eyed dreamers, dreamers whose dreams have turned to nightmares and now they just plod through whatever they do, eyes bleary with defeat and hearts full of hopelessness.
Many manage to hang on, stumbling through life with no heart to try again, or to try it a little differently. They are just here or there and that’s about it. There is a vast difference between giving up and trying it a little differently.
Over a quarter a century ago I heard Walter Beech, founder of the great Beechcraft Aviation Company, say, “Actually, I did not know all that much about what I wanted to do. I was able to surround myself with men and women who knew much about their particular part in building airplanes and were anxious to learn even more. Together we build great airplanes.”
No matter what we know in our heart the Lord wants us to do, to be, we have to learn, often the hard way, to lock onto whatever “it” is and tenaciously keep it before our eyes, and keep at it. When we hit the proverbial brick wall, call for help from people we think may be of help.
Due to the vast influence of computers, books made of paper are going through what I believe is a temporary decline. But the story of writers etc. who overcame great odds of ever succeeding is the stuff of legend. When my readership takes a dramatic drop, which is far too often, I read again a statement from a writer/publisher of earlier times, William Feather, who said:
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
When the Apostle Paul was taken from a cell in the Carcere Mamertino and beheaded, a passerby would have reckoned him to be near the ultimate failure. We and history know better. Paul’s parting statements have encouraged the faithful for two thousand years. When the time of his execution drew near Paul wrote:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2Timothy 4:7-8.
Trust Jesus through the tough times and hang in there!
Copyright © 2015 Larry Lilly
Great IT work is just a click away. Oral Deckard
The most frustrating discovered truth about my own life, and perhaps many others, is simply that we fail to persist. Commenting on his many failures, the iconic inventor, Thomas Edison stated:
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
The world is full of once bright eyed dreamers, dreamers whose dreams have turned to nightmares and now they just plod through whatever they do, eyes bleary with defeat and hearts full of hopelessness.
Many manage to hang on, stumbling through life with no heart to try again, or to try it a little differently. They are just here or there and that’s about it. There is a vast difference between giving up and trying it a little differently.
Over a quarter a century ago I heard Walter Beech, founder of the great Beechcraft Aviation Company, say, “Actually, I did not know all that much about what I wanted to do. I was able to surround myself with men and women who knew much about their particular part in building airplanes and were anxious to learn even more. Together we build great airplanes.”
No matter what we know in our heart the Lord wants us to do, to be, we have to learn, often the hard way, to lock onto whatever “it” is and tenaciously keep it before our eyes, and keep at it. When we hit the proverbial brick wall, call for help from people we think may be of help.
Due to the vast influence of computers, books made of paper are going through what I believe is a temporary decline. But the story of writers etc. who overcame great odds of ever succeeding is the stuff of legend. When my readership takes a dramatic drop, which is far too often, I read again a statement from a writer/publisher of earlier times, William Feather, who said:
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
When the Apostle Paul was taken from a cell in the Carcere Mamertino and beheaded, a passerby would have reckoned him to be near the ultimate failure. We and history know better. Paul’s parting statements have encouraged the faithful for two thousand years. When the time of his execution drew near Paul wrote:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2Timothy 4:7-8.
Trust Jesus through the tough times and hang in there!
Copyright © 2015 Larry Lilly
Great IT work is just a click away. Oral Deckard
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