More Endurance

Another good definition for endurance, is like holding a heavy object over your head. At the same time, a hot iron is pressed against your arm and you choose to withstand the pain, so that you'll be marked. It's not so much about the marking, as it is the choice to hang on, when you want to give up.

I was reading an ad in a fitness magazine at the chiropractor's office, that had a brick wall behind a finely chiseled body builder. He explains that the wall behind him was built brick by brick. That several hours of planning, and hard work went into making that building. He used this as an illustration of his own muscles and talks about all the training that you don't see. The sweat and tears that went into his strength training. The foods that he avoided, so that he could achieve that ideal athletic form.

Recently, at church, my pastor shared a story about these guys, who were trying to move a boulder in front of their gate. It was so heavy, they couldn't move it. But each day, they kept pushing against the large rock again and again. Eventually, one day the kingdom was attacked, but these men found out something. Although, they couldn't move the boulder, they learned how to be strong from pushing against it and were able to defend themselves against attack. "Don't miss the lesson from the boulder."

I just found out this past week, from an MRI, that I have two herniated discs in my neck. I may have permanent injuries for the rest of my life. Still, it can be corrected slowly by my chiropractor (Yes, and the Lord too), and I can have some serious relief. I will be seeking out my "counsel of many", as well as some legal counsel as to whether I should seek medical compensation for my whiplash injury from the car accident a few months ago. I will definitely be praying about it first. But these things add on to the weights I'm already facing this semester. I've saved the hardest classes for last (Math and Science). I may sound incorrigible, but there are some tough challenges awaiting me.

Still, I was thinking about this video I was watching on godtube.com: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8616c1559ab4221b3910

These people carry cardboard signs, and pretty much share what they were before, and after coming to Christ. I noticed that although people went through very tough situations like divorce, and even terrible diseases like cancer, it brought them closer to God and his plan of restoration. Is it possible to praise God for painful, or even trying times in our lives? Look at this verse:

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
Ps 34:1

"...and I vow to praise You,
through the good and the bad,
I'll praise you whether happy or sad,
I'll praise You, with all that I go through,
because praise is what I do,
because I owe it all to You."

-"Praise is what I do" by The William Murphy Project

"Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."-Hebrews 12:3

I don't think that learning endurance is something I can put on my "to do list" and mark off. It's something I will continually be learning throughout my life. I think this is also true about my relationship with God. There's no point in this life, short of the rapture, where I will understand everything about God as completely as He is complete. I guess that's why us Christian's call this relationship a "walk with God." We all have to keep walking with Him, even if it is through places we would rather not go.

Keep loving Jesus, and others, no matter what. That's the attitude we should be striving for.

"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8