Did you ever go through a season of obligation where you found yourself pouting like a child that hasn’t gotten what they wanted?  I was recently listening to a Max Lucado sermon as I often do and he told the story of a little girl crying on the steps of her summer camp.  She was asked if she was home sick and she tearfully answered “I am here sick”.  Boy, can I relate!  I have been going through a bit of a low time assisting my mom through her knee replacement surgery and recovery.  Honestly the place I feel closest to God and HOME is in the woods freely walking and feeling His presence and the freedom this gives me. This freedom partially relates to doing what makes me feel good, not necessarily what makes others feel good.  So, sitting in the hospital, the rehab facility and her home witnessing my mom’s pain and sometimes confusion and frustration was a lesson in ‘here sickness’.  This was not so beautifully paired with guilt for not approaching her pain with more compassion and true presence.  So here I sit less joyful at times than my usual baseline. 

A verse was presented in church recently that I had not heard before that perked my attention, because honestly it spoke to me of my current state and gave me hope.  The verse is from Isaiah 42:3; A bruised reed he will not break, a faintly burning wick he will not quench.  This speaks to me of spiritual endurance, even when we feel depleted, God is in it with us even when we can barely feel Him.  Like the dying embers of a fire, often the coals from this fire are carried for days to reignite the fire later in the journey.  Yes, I need to carry these slightly lit coals with me always.  I choose to remember that I am not alone.  I choose to remember I may be bruised like the reed but I am not broken.

Remember.  Do you know this word is written in the Bible 1,200 times!  I think God knew we are a forgetful sort that can easily get weighed down by the levity of being human.  Coming from a yoga background as part of my spiritual DNA so to speak I love the word remember because it implies attainable action or right action as the Buddhists say.   An action or practice that we might need to bring in multiply times a day.  We remember, we are not alone, we remember who is breathing life, action and hope into our days.  Remembering also increases awareness, one of the key components to living a yogic lifestyle as well as the Christian walk.  Walk!  To walk in the world, physically and spiritually takes action and awareness.  Remembering also increases our perspective (like yoga!)  helping us to see beyond our own thoughts and current circumstance.  Even in this moment however we were perceiving it, God walks with us. 

This idea of remembering and walking brings me back to spiritual endurance.  Particularly when we are wrestling with something heavy this becomes so important.   Another word that is similar to endurances and is frequently seen in the Bible is perseverance.    I asked google what the difference was between these words and I appreciate the subtlety; endurance often implies a more passive, sustainable quality of lasting through a difficult situation, while perseverance suggests a more active, intentional effort to overcome obstacles and achieve a goal.   To me endurance speaks of what God creates for us,  the power and energy to endure, sustain, even thrive.  Perseverance speaks to an active partnership with God using our own resolve, and fortitude to continue, perhaps with a little fuel from the Holy Spirit.  I often think of the Holy Spirit as the active player in the holy trinity.  Spirit like the strong wind pushing gently or forcefully, if need be, onward.  

Interestingly, I googled Bible quotes about endurance and most of my favorite passages came up at a press of a button!   I guess I have been needing spiritual endurance all along as these words have always spoken to me.  First there is James: 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.  James 1:2-4.   I love this, through perseverance we are compete, lacking in nothing.  Which speaks truth to the yogic idea of present moment awareness, it has been said that when we make peace with our reality in the present, what ever it is we suffer less.  There may be pain and discomfort but we suffer less because only in the present moment do we truly encounter God and all his grace.  But if we fight the present moment, like me kicking and screaming like a child, we miss it, we miss the encounter, the comforter the chance to grow our spiritual muscles and endurance by enduring the uncomfortable.

Paul says it like this in the book of Romans:  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Romans 5:3-4.   Beautifully said as Paul often does.  Character, now that’s a word for an entire blog!  But true character steeped in faith and knowledge of Christ, this is a force that could change the world. And of course, leading to hope, this is a word I have found creeping into my heart and mind lately.  Perhaps the wick has been lit within me throughout the ‘trial’.  I am feeling the lift and light of hope walking not alone but with endurance with other believers and with Jesus.  

I close with one more verse this time form Hebrews that speaks to me of the freedom I feel walking in the woods, free and unencumbered from the weariness of my own thoughts and perceived obligations:  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.  Hebrews 1:  1-2.   I image the cloud of witnesses as believers, saints and sinners from all of time, cheering us on like the runner being cheered on at the finish line and all along the way.  The race has been marked out for us, implying the path has already been cleared, the way has been prepared we simple must clear the dust from our shoes, hearts and minds and remember, remember again and again that in the present moment is where God meets us. In the present moment we can encounter Jesus and he has a big smile on his face and open arms as he cheers us on.