We are all familiar with the poem Keep Going by Edgar Guest.
"When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
And the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often, the goal is nearer than it seems
To a faint and faltering man.
Often, the struggler has given up when he
Might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit.
It's when things seem worst that
You musn’t quit."
It is easy to recite poems, sing songs, or give advice to others when we are on the mountain top.
What about being in the valley, in a dark and hopeless situation ourselves?
Then, somehow, it is not so easy to apply the counsels we shared with others.
But, we must persevere.
Everyone at its own pace, but not losing hope.
Though apparent impossibilities obstruct our way, by His grace, we must go forward.
Our lives do not consist only in gentleness, patience, meekness, and kindness. These graces are essential, but there is need also of courage, force, energy, and perseverance. To enter that path and press on through difficulties and discouragements requires courage and perseverance.
Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities that we all should cultivate to make us strong to do good, strong to resist evil, and strong to bear adversity.
Thomas Carlyle ( 1795-1881) said that permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities is that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.
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