I was considering yesterday on my birthday, something that made me really appreciate my father as I reflected on how he raised me and who he was. I recalled how Daddy never let us quit. I remember how I would be playing a game with my brother (who always cheated! lol) and I would want to quit. Then my brother would tell on me and daddy would say-"FINISH. Win or lose. Finish." There were times when I played sports with teams and for whatever reason I didn't want to play the rest of the year. But Daddy would make me-and all of my siblings for that matter, finish. There was no such thing as quitting in the middle. Starting something and not seeing it through was not an option in our house.
Then to add insult to injury Daddy would press us to do our best, to play our hardest even if we didn't want to keep playing. He would explain tersely, "if you start, finish. If you play, you play hard. If at the end of the season you don't want to play next year, fine. But don't start and quit in the middle."
As I reflect on these principles, I am so grateful. I admit, I wasn't grateful then, but now it is innately the way I live my life now. So when I pray and receive direction from the LORD and tests and trials come, and when the winds blow and the rains pour- I honestly flashback to when my father would say, "don't start and quit in the middle." I remember when I was young in the LORD and things were ruff and I didn't understand the concept of suffering. I would be so frustrated and so tired. But what was ingrained in me would manifest-by the grace of GOD- and I would remember- DON'T QUIT. When I considered whether or not I should pray or read my WORD or not, often times because I was frustrated or had the opportunity to do so I wanted to go hang out with friends or do other things. Then I would remember how my Daddy had said to play hard or not at all. Then I would throw myself more into the Bible and books about the BIBLE.
I am so grateful for learned perseverance. Thanking the LORD for my Daddy.
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