“Of Water, Born” – Saturday, March 20, 2021

St. Helen’s Daily Lenten Devotional

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
Marie Curie

I watched them, a mom and her toddler, as they explored the parking lot.  The pace was slow and meandering.  The proffered hand was rejected.  Everything seemed to be of interest…the snow piles, the puddles, marks of unknown origin, bits of garbage, the visible refuse of careless human beings revealed in the thaw.  And then the little girl made a discovery!  Did you know that you can step up on a curb?  And given a little more concentration, you can step down?  You can even stand with one small boot up and one down! And you can walk along the edge of the curb as well.  A plethora of new activities to experience and she explored them over and over, gaining confidence as she went.  I thought that she was going to try a jump, but perhaps that was a bit risky. I think jumping is ‘curb playing 102’.  What her mother revealed was patience and wisdom.  What the daughter discovered, besides the exciting new activity itself, was the joy of perseverance.

When we consider the word ‘perseverance’, we often think of how to maintain disciplines, in the midst of temptations, or the challenge of staying ‘on course’ when stormy winds and rogue waves threaten to overturn our lives.  It is used as a positive reference to the quality of someone who doesn’t give up easily.   Obstacles of all kinds might threaten the ‘timely success’ of many ventures but a person with perseverance will be determined to see something through, at least until other signs point to a better outcome than the one we may have originally planned!  And, by faith, we know that we have a ‘parent’, ready to encourage and support us in the journey.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12: 1-2