Congress has
gotten a lot of criticism lately, and I'd like to get on that bandwagon even
though I may be a little late. What made
them think that they could just close things down when they couldn’t get along,
when they couldn’t figure out a solution, when they couldn’t act like adults
and compromise? Did they not realize
that their actions had awful consequences for so many people in our country and
around the world?
Most of us
don't have the option to do what Congress did. Most of us can't just say,
"Well, this is too hard. We can't
figure out an easy answer or compromise, so we'll just shut things down for a
while and wait for the other guys to give in or figure out an answer."
Yes, I know this is a huge simplification of the whole situation, but the
real point here isn't to dis congress, but rather it is to thank all those
people who don't close things down when the going gets tough.
The truth is
we all have to deal with the tough stuff. We have to do things that are
extremely difficult, we have to engage with the pain and brokenness of
this world, we have to live in an imperfect world where some days one thing
after the other goes wrong.
And it’s
hard. It’s really hard.
But you do
it. Day after day. Some days you may question why we must keep
going, why it must be so difficult, but if you keep going please know that you
are doing something spectacular.
There are
the teachers who patiently care for and teach their students even when they
don't have the resources they need, their students and parents aren’t always
the most cooperative, and the system doesn’t lean toward doing what is best for
the students.
There are the
pastors who are on call 24/7, counsel people through grief and crises, preach
the Truth, and care for their congregation in so many ways through much
sacrifice.
There are
the non-profit organization leaders who make the most of few resources to do
incredible work to solve some of the world's biggest problems and who help
people who many would consider to be beyond help.
There are
the lawyers who fight for their clients and for justice in a system that isn't
always on the side of justice.
There are the
doctors who relentlessly search for the best treatment for their patients even
after so treatments many have proven ineffective.
There are the
parents who continue to love their children even when exhaustion sets in and
who give second chances and show “tough love” to help their children become the
people they are meant to be.
There are
early mornings, long days, late nights, disappointment, tears, stress, pain,
heartache, moments of panic, days of grief, fear, loss, injustice, anxiety,
financial struggles, insecurity, disasters, horrific accidents, devastation,
illness, and rejection.
With all
this, it takes great courage to keep going. It requires an enormous
amount of endurance and patience to not give up. Most of all it demands hope. And for as long as you don’t give up somewhere
inside of you are courage, endurance, patience, and hope.
Thank you to
all of you who keep going. Thank you to
everyone who has the courage, the endurance, the patience, and ultimately the
hope it takes to say, “Yes, this is really awful and I want to give up, but I
will not let all that is difficult stop me from trying to bring about what is
beautiful.”
You give me
hope. Thank you.
