Don't Give Up!

 Tears filled my eyes as I watched a video a friend had sent me of her one-year-old grandson, who was teetering and tottering as he walked a short distance across a room in his house. I admired his determination to walk on feet and legs that weren’t accustomed to standing and walking.

Unsteady though he was, he was laser-focused on making it to an area that contained some of his toys. That cute little “knee high to a grasshopper” fellow knew what he wanted. He went for it. He tossed aside his doubts and fears. He didn’t criticize himself for not walking confidently and quickly like the adults around him. Nope. He chose to do the best he could do and to move toward what he wanted.

Less than an hour later, while paging through a magazine, I came to an article about the true power of senior dogs. The accompanying pictures touched my heart, one in particular.

It depicted a chihuahua wearing a metal brace that was strapped across his mid-section and extended past his hind legs. The assistive device had wheels and looked as if it weighed about as much as the little dog. The caption said, “Despite their health woes, senior dogs never give up. They adapt and move on with life.” 

That photo brought to mind a brave little dog my son-in-law found after the dog had been seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver. My son-in-law took the dog to the vet.

Miraculously, Buddy survived and appeared happy, even as he limped along for a couple of months before having to have one of his rear legs amputated. For several years, he stayed active. But he finally needed to be carried up and down the steps that led to their backyard where he loved to lie in the lush green grass and bask in the sun while watching the other dogs run and play.

Even as his health deteriorated to the point that the vet said the merciful thing to do was to put the dog down, Buddy remained his sweet, easy-going, cheerful self. As always, he seemed to smile at everyone and to enjoy life, despite being in pain.

As I thought about the little boy walking on wobbly legs, about the dog pictured in the magazine, and about Buddy, I realized they were giving me an example to follow: Carry on, despite your circumstances. Adapt. But don’t give up—no matter how hard you must struggle to get to do what you desire to do and to get to the places you want to go.

Dear Reader, are you dealing with something that you feel is too hard for you? Do you want to curl up and give up instead of keep on going? Please don’t give in to those feelings. 

Your friends and family still need you. Even as you struggle, you can still inspire others to continue on—no matter how hard it is. Those around you need you to show them that it is possible to go on. Then when they encounter difficulties, they will remember and follow the courageous example you set for them.

Let’s resolve to live fully during all the days the Lord gives us. Whether we’re young or old, whether we’re well or weak, whether we’re confident or afraid, let’s move forward, thanking God for the gift of each day, for His presence with us, and for the strength He gives us to deal with whatever challenges we face.

As we age, my friends and I often wish we had the strength and the opportunities to do what we used to do. Thus, I found comfort in the Feb. 18^th devotional in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. (Note: Each devotional is what she sensed Jesus was saying to her, thus the words Me and I refer to Jesus.) In this particular writing, He urges her (and, by implication, you and me) to realize our “down” time (or our “slowing down” time) is an opportunity to become more aware of His presence with us, to get to know Him better, to learn to serve Him in simple ways, to notice how He’s working in every circumstance, and to remember this:

“Some of the greatest works in My kingdom have been done from sickbeds and prison cells.”

May we learn the same lesson the Apostle Paul did. As you may recall, he begged God three times to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” (No one knows for sure what the thorn was, but we can assume it was something painful.) Although God said no, He reassured Paul with these words: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV).

That powerful insight dramatically changed Paul’s view of his situation. He said, “[In light of that assurance], I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ESV).

Dear Reader, God’s strength is available to us in our weaknesses, in every painful situation, in all our ups and downs, and in all our limitations. Let’s learn to turn to Him, to depend on His strength rather than our own, and to ask Him to show us creative ways we can continue to serve Him—whatever our situation.