Courage to Continue

As evening fell, the story-teller took his seat by the fire and began.

Once upon a time there was a man named Maxey Filer who wanted to be a lawyer.  When he was just thirty-six years old he took the bar exam … and failed. 

He took it again … and failed.

And again, and again, and again, each time he failed.

He took it in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, and anywhere else in the state of California that offered the bar exam, and failed each time.  And after taking the bar exam forty-eight times … he finally passed it.

In all he spent $50,000 in test fees and review courses in order to pass the test.  He spent twenty-five years in preparing and taking the test before he passed it.  What a glorious day that was. 

His aim in life was to use the law to help change society for the better, and that is what he set out to do.  And he succeeded.  He established his law practice in Compton, California.  

Today, when Maxie tells his clients he will fight for them and their case to the end, he means just that. 

Maxie Filer had the courage to continue. 

Behold the bumblebee.  It has a huge body in comparison to its very small wings.  Yet it can fly.  The bumblebee doesn’t know it is aerodynamically impossible for him to fly.  And so it continues to flap and fly and buzz all around our heads at picnics – because the bumblebee has the courage to continue.

A family in my home town had a son who died while still a young man.  He was quite a good poet, a thinking man, soft spoken, and he had a very tender side.  When Vic died, his family had the courage to continue.

I know a lady whose husband died just as they were preparing for a brilliant life in their retirement years.  Don’s death made no sense, and she grieved and sobbed and wondered how to make sense of it all.  However, she had the courage to continue.  Today she still thinks of him, and misses him terribly, yet she has the courage to continue.

I’ve known a few people who have faced divorce.  They could have stopped living and crawled in a hole wishing it would all end, yet their life continued, because they had the courage to continue.

When you face hardships, my prayer is that you will discover the courage within that helps you plant your feet on the ground the day after.  I hope you find hope again to continue with your daily life.

It will be ‘daily’ for a while.  And you just plant one foot in front of the other and keep moving.  Grieve as you will.  Take as much time as you need.  Keep your best friends close, and your God closer, but keep living life.  Keep sorting life out with your faith in one hand and your courage as a walking stick to lean upon.

May you always have the courage to continue regardless of whatever it is that life tosses at you.

Up-Words

Words of Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time