Perseverance wins the day

A faithful reader sent in the following item from her church bulletin and I thought it would be fun to share.

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Following are old time quotes or proverbs a teacher asked her first graders to finish. (The old-time answers are contained in parentheses. The answers given by the first graders are marked with asterisks.)

"If at first you don't succeed, (try and try again.) *Give it to a kid."

"It's always darkest before (the dawn.) *daylight savings time."

"Don't bite the hand that (feeds you.) *looks dirty."

"You can't teach an old dog (new tricks.) *math."

"If you lie down with dogs (you'll get fleas.) *you'll stink in the morning."

"A penny saved is (a penny earned.) *not much."

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you (cry alone.) *blow your nose."

"Children should be seen and not (heard.) *grounded."

"When the blind lead the blind (they both fall in the ditch.) *get out of the way."

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Other than being downright funny, some of the answers reveal profound wisdom for first graders.

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again, is a lesson in perseverance. In this day and age of technologies that can be not a little daunting to those of us set in our ways, giving the problem over to a kid may be the best solution available.

But not usually.

The old standby is an old standby for good reason. In order to master something, whether it's programming a VCR or overcoming an addiction, perseverance is going to win the day every time.

The story is an old one, and will be familiar to many, I'm sure. The only thing that changes, it seems, are the identities of those involved.

Years ago, a neighbor and I agonized over a third neighbor who was taking an extended leave of absence, again, to undergo therapy for her addiction to alcohol.

My friend lamented, "It's the third time she's done this. She's just not getting it. I can't believe people are giving her another chance."

Though I understood my friend's frustration with what seemed to be a hopeless situation, I disagreed with her assessment of our friend's chances. I knew that if she quit fighting, then and only then, was she done for. But as long as she was willing to fight, she still had a chance. She needed cheerleaders, not naysayers.

After all, we cheer on the boxer, who, taking hit after hit, keeps getting back up off the mat, to fight another round.

We admire the quarterback who shakes off a sack and makes his way back to the line, even knowing that there's a better than even chance he'll end up at the bottom of the pile on the next snap.

Parents clap, cajole and congratulate their toddlers as they take one step, then another, fall, and, wonder of wonder, pull themselves up to try again. Moms and dads spend countless hours with their preschooler, sounding out letters, knowing that only with continued instruction, continued encouragement, continued practice, the all-important skill of reading will be mastered.

Yet, typically, we don't, or won't, exercise the same concepts when one of our friends becomes entangled in a besetting sin. No matter how close the relationship, no matter how precious the friend, no matter how high the stakes, it just seems easier to throw up our hands in frustration, to turn and walk away, and, with a rueful shake of the head, give them up for lost, both now and forevermore.

Even sadder to say, the faith community can be as unyielding as the world in these circumstances, apparently forgetting what an abysmal state we were in and would be in still, if not for the oft-repeated mercy of grace.

What we're forgetting, or failing to realize in the first place, is that just like the boxer, the quarterback, the toddler and the preschooler, each time our friend gets back up, brushes himself or herself off and tries again, they gain experience, skill and the thrill of success -- no matter how short-lived -- tools that eventually lead to victory.

But, without cheerleaders, without staunch support, a clap on the back, an occasional "attaboy," the fight becomes too much, the mat too soft, the astro turf too hard, and then truly, they are lost, now and forevermore.

-- "To him who overcomes ..." Revelation 2:7; 17; 2:11; 2:26;3:5; 3:11; 3:21 (NIV)

PS. Thanks Esther, for taking the time to share.