Perseverance
James 1:12
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Lately I have been going to the gym once in the morning for a quick run on the treadmill and once at night for a resistance workout. I see the same guy. Every. Single. Morning. He’s a larger man, never says a word to anybody. He walks into the gym, goes straight to the treadmill, and walks. He walks and walks. I’ve seen him just walking casually at an incline for over one and a half hours at a time. Over the past month or so since I’ve been back from college and started coming to the gym near my house again, I’ve just admired this man. He’s consistent. One day at a time, one step at a time, he tries to better himself. Will he be the next Magic Mike? Probably not. However, I see him bust his tail off every single day to improve his life. That’s so admirable to me. In a culture of fleeting moments and seconds, this guy perseveres. Everybody is so impatient. “I want this, I want that, and I want it all now.” This man isn’t. He probably has no clue I know who he is. In a sense, I don’t. I don’t know his name, background, life story, anything really. But I do know him as the man who perseveres. He truly has inspired me. There are some days when it truly is so easy to just forfeit the day, to stick with the status quo, to not move the needle. But a day where you don’t learn something about yourself is a day wasted. Life sucks sometimes man. Plain and simple. But every single trial you’ve gone through should make you the happiest person in the world. It’s made you who you are today. It’ll shape who you are tomorrow, next year, ten years from now. Some people never change, but I believe the ability for people to suffer through the toughest of times and persevere through it all to come back and be the best they can be is truly one of the most beautiful gifts life has to offer.
the beautiful life we live 