Endure

“Out of suffering comes the serious mind; out of salvation, the grateful heart; out of endurance, fortitude; out of deliverance, faith. Patient endurance attends to all things.”- St. Teresa Of Avila

The days pass, and I am meditating on the journey thus far. I can see a change in myself, from apprehension and uneasiness to introspection and increasing peace. The worries of life have lost their gravity. Perhaps, my cares are now in perspective. Time with Jesus brings change.

I wonder how many miles Jesus walked when He was sent into the desert for forty days. As I approach the midway point of this Lenten season, I notice my legs are a bit tired. Trekking through the desert landscape is taxing at times. Jesus and I have covered a fair amount of distance since starting this journey, but it is difficult to know how far exactly. 

Walking with Jesus does not require anything. I can just be; however, life, responsibilities, and pressures creep in, and fatigue makes itself at home. Jesus suggests we sit down. Sitting somewhere a bit more comfortable than the desert floor would be nice. But the desert offers limited options. As I sit in the sand, my mind drifts to Calvary. Jesus’ legs must have been so weak and feeble from the scourging, carrying the cross, and the anguish of our sins. I cannot fathom that level of utter exhaustion. All of a sudden, my need for rest falls into perspective.

Jesus endured the unimaginable. I cannot grasp the immense suffering He went through for me. How was Jesus able to continue? How did He not give up? My shortcomings with endurance strike me. When life gets hard, or the outcomes are not what I anticipated or hoped for, I want to call it quits. What would have become of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ had He adopted the same attitude to call it quits? 

Weariness teaches endurance, Jesus says. Sometimes I do not believe in my ability to endure. I ask Jesus, how did you endure all you went through? “Because of love,” He replies. 

Perfect love will endure. My heart is remorseful as I realize the enormity of Jesus’ love for me, a love that will bear all things.

Scripture:

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:9-12)

Reflection:

1. Think of a time you had to endure and were weary. What helped you get through that experience?
2. What blessings did you receive as a result of enduring?
3. Close your eyes and imagine yourself with Jesus, resting with Him. Journal your experience.

Click here for another blog on endurance and perseverance.