...and Perseverance
Cody
Hightower, a lifelong Bender, monitors several natural gas and oil wells in our
community. He checks wells regularly to ensure they are operating properly
without leaking. If he finds anything malfunctioning or broken, Cody must fix
it.
One responsibility of his job
intrigues me. Cody hauls salt water from the wells. In the short tank, Cody
transports the salt water to a disposal well. The short tank is never driven
fast. The engine roars as it pulls the short tank slowly up inclined roads in
our community. Cody’s perseverance impresses me.
Some time ago, Cody introduced
me to his boss when we sat near each other at a funeral. His boss appreciated
an employee dedicated to keeping the wells working as well as possible.
Interestingly,
after an unseasonably cold snap one winter, I asked Cody how he was weathering
the bitter cold. He grinned and said, “I’ve done better than the equipment
has.”
Seeing perseverance in the 21st
century seems rarer than in other eras. Yet we know perseverance is required in
completing training for a career whether an electrician journeyman, a
cosmetology student finishing the coursework and getting licensure, or
acquiring any new job skill.
Every relationship requires a
resolution—to make a marriage work, to insure parent/teen communication, or
first-time parents “gritting out” care of a sick baby. So many tasks in our
homes demand a commitment to stick-to-itiveness.
Many hobbies demand
perseverance. Furniture refinishing, vehicle restoration, renovating a room or
home, mastering an instrument, hunting, fishing, or almost any avocation demands
tenacity to achieve the desired result.
The principle of perseverance
runs throughout the scripture, but is especially presented by James, the
half-brother of Jesus. James, one of the early leaders of the Jerusalem church,
writes to expatriates from the Jerusalem church. These families had scattered
over the Roman Empire due to persecution, much instigated by Saul (who had his
name changed to “Paul” after his encounter with Jesus) when Saul’s intention
remained to destroy the followers of Jesus.
James admonished in the first
chapter, verses 2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of
your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you
may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
The use of the word
“perseverance” indicates the godly approach to trials, adversity, difficulty,
and testing. The writer of Hebrews bears this out in chapter 10, verse 36: You
need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
We embrace the Lord, knowing He
will empower us to persevere. Again, turning to the book of James, we read in
chapter 1, verse 12, Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because,
having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord
has promised to those who love Him.
We see James mentions God
promises those who love Him will receive the realization of the promises He
swore to them. Jesus admonished, “If you love Me, you will keep my
commandments.”
May we remember Cody’s perseverance with his short tank and let his example spur us to persevere in whatever task God gives us or any path that He calls us to walk.
 |
| On July 24, Cody graduated from C.L.E.E.T. training and met the requirements for becoming an Osage County Reserve Deputy. We are thankful to have a representative of our Osage County Sheriff’s Department living in our community. Congratulations, Cody! |
No comments :
Post a Comment