Endurance

A few days ago I wrote about quitting. Today I want to talk about enduring. Sometimes in life we are placed in positions where we simply cannot quit. Our consciences call us to stay. Despite difficulties our convictions compel us endure. And often hope can arise in the most difficult situations if we persevere. And sometimes quitting is just not an option.

I had a short visit yesterday with my friend John who has been hospitalized for months with heart and kidney problems. My short encounter with him was difficult - seeing John on a respirator was heartbreaking. Yet I was encouraged by the hope in his eyes. I was honored to be with a man who reflected such perseverance. I dedicate these quotes to John.

Endurance is patience concentrated. -Thomas Carlyle

Endurance is nobler than strength and patience than beauty. -John Ruskin

Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance. -Virgil

If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes. -Corrie TenBoom

Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory. -William Barclay

God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight. -Reggie White

Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love still stands when all else has fallen. -Anonymous