Perseverence the Sister of Persistence

Yesterday I learned a few lessons in perseverance and persistence. Sometimes you have to ask twice. Sometime you have to wait it out. And sometimes you have to wait it out and ask five times.

May I tell you my story again?
Yesterday, I was assisting a family with an issue related to adoption, and looking for a way to to get their children to American. After a year long wait since they first saw the faces of the children that would become their own, it was time. It was time for their wait to be over.

I contacted the organization that could assist with the uniting of this beautiful family. I told the woman on the phone my story (sorry the actual story is for another blog). A complete stranger, my only hope to grant this request. I needed the help of this woman. I'd never met her, and surely will never meet her again. There is nothing I can do to repay her for her patience with my persistence. One hour, twenty-four minutes and twelve seconds on the phone in waiting , hoping that this woman would have mercy on me.

She told me there was nothing she could do, she had tried and she was genuine. I asked, "May I tell you my story again?" and she agreed to listen. I think I told her my story 5 times before we were off the phone. Somewhere in the mix I told her I was begging for her help, and again asked if I could repeat the story. I was asking for her to give us mercy and grant our request now. And our request was pricey. We were asking for something very expensive. What we were asking for was beyond the means of those involved. Again I asked for "immediate" assistance, and to please assist us finanically with the issue we were facing.

One adoptive mother, now my sister, has persevered a storm. A year long storm. And if she could persevere a year long wait to her children. I could persist to have our needs meet at that moment. The persevering was over, it was time to be persistent.

And the perseverance of one mother along with the persistence of another mother paid off. A waiting family and their children are days away from being united as one!

Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Hebrews 10:35-36
35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.



Defined: Persevere
-verb (used without object) 1. to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.
2. to persist in speech, interrogation, argument, etc.; insist.

-verb (used with object) 3. to bolster, sustain, or uphold: unflagging faith that had persevered him.

Defined: Persistent
persisting, esp. in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement, etc.; persevering: a most annoyingly persistent young man.


Quotes
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”
Calvin Coolidge

Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak
Thomas Carlyle

Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time.

Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.
Napoleon Hill

God is with those who persevere

No great achievement is possible without persistent work.
Philemon Bertrand Russell


If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer.
Alan Lewis