"Keep on keeping on"

Christian Missionary Amy Carmichael once wrote, “Which is harder: to do or to endure?”  Ponder her question with me.  The dictionary states that to endure means “to hold up under (pain, etc.); to tolerate.”  So, once again, “Which is harder: to do or to endure?”  Is it harder to complete an objective, or to bear with a relentless, nagging situation?  She continues, “I think to endure is much harder, and our Father loves us too much to pass through life without learning to endure.  So I want you to welcome the difficult little things, the tiny pricks that are sure to come almost every day.  For they give you a chance to say “No” to yourself, and by doing so you will become strong not only to do, but also to endure.”

I’m in full agreement with Amy Carmichael: it is harder to endure.  The Lord, in His mysterious sovereign plan, chose to call my dad home two years ago now.  I have learned just how difficult it is to endure, or to “keep on keeping on” as my dad used to say.  In the words of my brother that he sent in a text message last July, I have had to “take on the impossibly challenging task of taking care of a lot of Dad’s responsibilities and helping to hold Mom together.”

As I shared with you earlier, I recently watched my dad’s funeral service again.  One thing I didn’t remember from previous viewings was a statement from a listener.  Several letters were being quoted that highlighted my dad’s ministry impact, but one listener said something about the state of their life in general.  The person said, “Life is very hard, but that’s not bad; it keeps us clinging to Jesus.”  What an inspiring challenge!

I miss my dad.  I miss his laugh, humor, wisdom, and leadership.  But I don’t cry for him; I know that, for two years, he has been experiencing the bliss, pleasures, and euphoria of Heaven.  Meanwhile, life here is challenging.  It’s not easy to be suddenly thrust into a fatherless life (or, in my mom’s case, widowhood).  But, through it all, God has been so faithful.  I can attest that I have “taste[d] and see[n] that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).  As life continues on, I’m going to “keep my hand in His hand, and keep on keeping on.”  For the glory of God the Father.

Kevin