{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 7}

If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.
Samuel Johnson

Day 7 | Perseverance--

Last year this crazy kid received an award at school for his diligence. He IS a hard worker. He is a deliberate worker who pretends not to care about the results, but he does. I am continually learning from him---let's face it, I'm back in school now!!! We study together for everything! I'm hoping to learn math this time around---no, really, starting over and LEARNING MATH!

Joshua's perseverance is a beautiful lesson to me. The child is only in the 6th grade and he works harder than I ever worked in High School. Now, the work isn't necessarily as hard as it was at that time in my life, (or as it will be for him later), but the time commitment is definitely as much, if not more than it ever was for me. 

I am a hard worker---but I'm not sure I truly "labor" over my work like he does---I'm learning from him to KEEP AT IT. Even if the task seems impossible--it's always better to have tried and fail than never to have tried at all---right?

I'm so thankful for a reminder right here in my home to persevere---in ALL things, persevere. One of the verses I pray for Joshua is below---tonight as we were getting through the homework, I began to think of this and hoped and prayed that I, too would persevere---that I, too would be an example to HIM of perseverance. This was a humbling moment as I realized how often I have failed to do this. I'm thankful for these moments of truth in my life (and also that they can often be private and not in a humiliating way---which is also a possibility! ;D ) So, today, I'm thankful for my son---and his  example to me of perseverance---even when he doesn't know he is an example. I'm thankful for this hope---that "does not put us to shame because of God's love"---that is powerful knowledge! I hope you are thankful today for something---for many things!

    Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
   
(Romans 5:1-5 ESV)