June 4, 2012 - The Work of Perseverance

This morning let's talk about perseverance. In a society where giving up is the norm, as believers, however, we are encouraged to continue and persevere because according to James, "perseverance must finish its work so that we may be mature and complete - lacking nothing." I am watching my watermelon seedlings (blog from about three weeks ago and if you're just joining our family, you can catch up at: kathyshcgfamily.blogspot.com) fight for maturity now and it speaks to my heart about so many things in life where it's easier to give up than continue to fight for what's right. My husband transplanted the seedlings when they were about 3 inches tall from a pot on the porch that I, personally, could watch, water, and tend to. When he transplanted them, he thought he was placing them in good soil that had been decomposing for a couple of years. I had my doubts - but he "knew." :) Not to make a point about a wrong decision, but the seedlings went from my porch - in almost perfect conditions - to a place where MOST of the conditions were favorable - but certainly not all. And they stopped growing. They simply stopped. Their leaves browned and for a moment it seemed death was imminent. But I continued with the water and the attention, beyond an imperfect soil, that I could continue. I checked them daily, prayed over them (yes I did), encouraged them with my words to "grow and prosper" but last week I had to come to the realization that THEY must fight for life. They must persevere when conditions are not always perfect and they must adapt if they are going to grow, mature, produce fruit and live a long, healthy life (in plant terms). I so see our journey in this picture. For me, I was in a "pot" where I had grown and grown and actually OUT GROWN my surroundings (jeans, clothes, amount of medications to combat overweight issues, etc) and life no longer was best lived in this TIGHT container. So I chose another place to start over on Jan 24, 2011 and there were many times when it was not easy. The convenience of stopping at fast food restaurants, eating anything (and MORE) that people prepared for me at parties, living from one meal to the next ALL STOPPED. Choosing to live a healthy life style was questionable at times. Many said, "it can't be done." But here's the truth - I am now in another world (soil structure) and I cannot go back to that same pot. It NO LONGER exists. I cannot "choose" health "with the option to return" to my former life style if "healthy eating doesn't work." NO! I live in a different place now (with it's own challenges), I have started to mature (as have my watermelon plants) RIGHT WHERE I AM, and there is NO PLACE OF RETURN. That option in our lives must be eliminated! I must fight for my health daily and realize THIS IS MY NEW NORMAL. That's what perseverance is all about. The watermelon plants cannot return to their former life (pot) so they must accept their new journey and fight for survival where they are. And good news - they are doing just that. I will say that my husband has determined to redo the soil because they are not growing as rapidly, but now that he sees they have persevered - he is responding and they will find their new journey so much more favorable after today. :) That's a picture of us - we can never return to our old way of living - healthy eating cannot just be a "choice." It cannot be "I'll eat what I WANT at this meal and do better at the next meal." If that is our mantra - we still LIVE IN THE OLD POT. Can we be honest? We must persevere and continue to persevere against all odds so that perseverance finishes its work - which is.........we have NO options other than being healthy. PK