Just keep swimming...

Don't give up on what God has called you to do. The end result is worth the pain. ~ Joyce Meyer


Joyce Meyer posted this statement on her fb page today and it just kept coming back to mind. (If you don't get her posts in your news feed, you should!) Something about this statement just really speaks to me. I realized after thinking about it all day that it applies to so many areas of my life. There is sometimes pain in the things that God calls us to do. Often I think of labor and delivery when I'm meditating on a difficult subject. There is no pain like labor pain. But there is also no joy like the joy of a newborn baby. Many times over I've had a soon to be mother tell me that she couldn't continue any longer. She is hurting, the pain is too great and she just can't continue. Although as a nurse you can't phrase it like this to the woman in pain, the truth of the matter is that giving up isn't an option. Once labor has started, there is no stopping it. The birth process, no matter how difficult has to continue through to completion. It has to keep going until the baby is born.


Not every situation in our lives has that level of commitment to it. Relationships can be walked away from, jobs can be quit, ministry calls can be ignored. But what God has in store for us can't be obtained without going through the labor process. We have to have the pain in order to realize the true beauty and joy of what God is trying to teach us. I believe that we can choose to see Gods purpose in our lives, even on the difficult days. Even when he's growing us, we can choose to praise Him! Friends I believe the real test is choosing to go through the storm and keep going until you find the rainbow on the other side, not turning back when the waves threaten to overturn the boat. Only then will we have true fulfillment and satisfaction in knowing that we're seeking all that God has for us.


For more info on Joyce Meyer look here.