The Power of Persistence

A couple of weeks ago a group of us did some gardening at church. We spent a rainy morning pulling out weeds, cutting back shrubs, filling bags with garden waste. It looks good now; it’s the power of persistence.

Yesterday I watched ‘The Haunted Hotel’, a Halloween pantomime for young children…  ‘It’s behind you!’ ‘O no it isn’t! Singing, dancing, magic, puppets, audience participation… entertained a hundred and thirty of us.

I know the folks who put on the show… years of training, different experiences of entertaining, weeks of rehearsals, six performances… Next week they’ll start preparing for their Christmas show. The power of persistence.

This morning I read Jesus’ story about the judge who doesn’t care about anybody. A widow comes to him, asking for justice in some dispute she has. He ignores her; she’s just an insignificant woman. She keeps coming – repeatedly. She wears him out, drives him crazy. Eventually he gives in and ensures that she gets justice.

The power of persistence… Initial enthusiasm’s easy. To do something regularly, repeatedly, consistently, persistently is harder, particularly when there’s personal cost…

Persistent Caring… Whether it’s loving family members, the friend who lets us down, or the irritating neighbour, it’s not always easy to be persistently, compassionately caring.

Persistent Sharing… Many charities call on us to be generous… poppies, foodbanks, wars, disasters… Giving once is one thing; sharing our time, money, possessions and energy with generosity and regularity, is another.

Persistent Daring… When I was younger I enjoyed taking on a challenge, being strong, and different. Now I’m looking for the easy and comfortable. Perhaps I should step outside my comfort zone more.

Persistent ‘Prayering’…  Jesus’ story was told to show his disciples that they should pray persistently. Praying in a crisis is easy. The story of the annoying widow and the unjust judge is about continuing, not-giving-up prayer.

Persistent Wearing… ‘…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.’