As I sit here writing this to you, I am preparing to jump on a plane in a few hours and head west to San Jose, CA. I have been instructed to sit on the right side of the plane, window seat, and look for a cute girl waving at a certain spot on the top of a tall residential building as my plane prepares to land in California. Sounds crazy, doesn't it?
This crazy girl would be my cousin, Sheri.
Sheri has been the voice of endurance to me over these past roller coaster months since my status changed from married to widowed. She is a nurse...a paramedic....a fire chief, and yet, was forced to watch her own life change before her eyes when her young husband died from a heart attack eight years ago. She has been a gift from God to me during this time in my life...and she has given me words of hope for what lies ahead.
So I think that's why this particular scripture strikes a deep cord within me:
"We can REJOICE, too, when we run into problems and trials,
for we know that they help us develop ENDURANCE."
Romans 5
Sheri and I didn't grow up knowing each other, but I remember hearing stories passed around the family about how, when she was training to be a fireman, she would attach a pully-device to her tiny waist and pull a Volkswagen down the street as a way of getting stronger and more equipped to handle the load she longed to carry as a fireman. The pain and strength it took to pull something many times her own weight. It developed her endurance.
In much the same way, our struggles and trials in this life are our Volkswagons. We strap on the Love of God to our weary bodies and let Him pull us and our troubles to safety. He doesn't ask us to do the work of the pulling...He simply asks us to.release the emergency brake so He is able to accomplish this for us.
And endurance develops strength of character,
and character strengthens our confident HOPE of salvation."
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