HANG ON

 This post screams, "HANG ON -- HANG ON"

DON'T GIVE UP! HANG ON!

Even through all seems impossible.

This tree is stretched over a large void and has managed to be attached in place by a few tough tendrils of root. The above tree does not give up!  It hangs on for dear life. What a tremendous struggle to survive!

"DON'T GIVE UP . . .  HANG ON"

Situations, as in the surviving tree, usually don't get so severe, but the principle of hanging on is an excellent quality worth exploring.  In the Cache Valley News Letter these wise words were expressed by Edward W. Smith.

"Imagine someone came along and asked you to stretch yourself as high as you could.  Then after you stretched yourself that person asked you to stretch another inch.  But you said you have done as much as you can.  Then imagine that the person said, they would give you  $1,000,000 if you could stretch another inch."

I bet you, my friend, would go one more inch and receive the money!

We hang on by doing what we believe is not achievable.

Like the tree, we have tough tendrils of roots as we hang on to our magnificent values.  Often we fail to analyze the ongoing skills of strength we have carefully developed.  Let's examine three.

• Hang on to hope -- hope brings strength:

My opinion is, hope can light the way forward when you feel weary to the bones and wonder how you can carry on. Hope is the powerful fuel moving us along the paths of life.

Hope is to trust, expect, anticipate, wish, look forward to, and have powerful faith.

Dali Lama stated, "I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus on the brightest.  I do not judge the universe."

• Hang on to beauty -- beauty brings peace:

I like the statement: Beauty is being in balance and harmony with nature.

It is happiness, splendor, uniqueness, self-fulling, revered, private, sharing, luxury, and comforting.

When I look at a distinctive painting, I enjoy the blending of hues in a kaleidoscope of colorful designs. It is a playful game to discover the story embedded on the canvas by the artist.  The experience brings me a blessed calm.

I believe beauty is held in the eyes of the beholder.  Once seen, beauty never hides again.  

• Hang on to self-worth -- self-worth brings courage:

Ponder these brilliant soul searching quotes.

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval." -- Mark Twain

"Until you value yourself, you won't value your time.  Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it." -- M. Scott Peck

"Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Like the courageous tree living against all odds, our challenge is to embrace our self-worth and joyfully shout the words from the scripture stated by Paul (2 Timothy 4:7), "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

My dear readers, family/friends, I scream,

"Hang On"

   *****  

The next post will feature "Work Horses."

Until then serve the Lord with gladness.