Endurance

By Mike and Dottie Clark Dec 9, 2015 3 Min Read

The staff is being so great. Another major transition comes in 2 weeks & everyone is trying to get buildings finished, beds moved, Christmas programs, banquets, gifts, etc completed.

Chad & Adam are finishing the bathroom that had to be redone so we can make the first move which will be Bubba & Sandra to the old visitor’s kitchen. Irene has made her move. I will share soon the major changes.

There were roadblocks all over the country by employees of the health department because there is no medicines and supplies in the public hospitals. This happens nearly every year at this time.

Endurance means that I have inward strength to withstand stress and do the best I can with my life. In order to endure spiritually you must have a conviction. You can never truly endure unless you have a reason deep within you.

I believe that you can only endure when you have hope. Discouragement is the greatest enemy of hope and therefore discouragement is the greatest enemy of endurance. If you cannot believe you cannot have hope and without hope there is no faith and thus there is no reason to endure.

We all will fail at something in our lives. No team ever wins every game. No husband is ever perfect neither is there any wife who is prefect. There is no perfect job or perfect church or perfect relationship. Enduring hope provides endurance.

Years ago when I was at the University of Florida I would run around the football stadium at night when it was cooler than the torrid afternoons. One night as I was running I was passed by a tall, slender runner and before I completed another lap he passed me again. I was determined to go faster but again within 400 meters he flew by me again. I just sorta returned to my slower pace knowing there was no way I could compete.

When I finished i sat in the stands and waited as he ran for 2 more hours. As he left the stadium I asked his name and it was Frank Shorter who happens to be the last American to win the Marathon at the Olympics. I was so totally out classed.

The following night I hesitated about running because I knew he was there. But then I realized that I was not competing with him or anyone else. I was running for my health. I was running in the hope of getting healthy. Hope gave me the desire to endure.