October 21, 2001

There is an old story of a small boy who undertook the task of shoveling through a huge snowdrift. When asked by a gentlemen how such a small boy as he with a small shovel could expect to clear away so much snow, he replied promptly and confidently, "by keeping at it, sir!" There's so much to be gained and accomplished if we just "keep at it."

Two brothers sold all they had and went prospecting during the California gold rush. They discovered a vein of shining ore out of the rock that adorned their property. All went well at first, but then the vein disappeared. They had come to the end of the rainbow and the pot of gold was no longer there. The two brothers continued to pick away at the ore but with no success. Finally, they gave up in disgust and quit. They sold their equipment and claim rights for a hundred dollars and took a train back home.

The man who bought the claim hired an engineer to examine the rock strata of the mine. The engineer advised him to continue digging in the very same spot where the former owners had left off. The new owner did just that and three feet below the spot found enough gold to make him a millionaire ten times over. Had the two brothers not quit so soon, and had they kept at it, they would have been the beneficiaries of an unbelievable treasure.

When the temptation to quit is at it's strongest, it behooves us to follow that young snow shovelers lead and keep at it. There is no telling what treasures and discoveries may await the one who perseveres.

Today's parable of the widow and the judge can be viewed as the Lord's endorsement of the power of importance and perseverance. Jesus struggled with the temptation to quit throughout the ministry, and his ability to persist and persevere stands as a living model of the very message of the parable. He learned from experience of the treasure that awaits those who persevere, and those who keep it one shovel at a time.

SO THE QUESTION: EVEN IF ONE NEVER SEES THE FRUIT OF ONE'S LABOR, IT PAYS TO PERSEVERE. WHY AND HOW IS THAT SO?

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