Hard Work
The slowest marathon in history took place in 1986 at the NYC marathon. Bob Wieland came in 19,413th place. It took him 4 days, 2 hrs., 48 min., and 17 seconds to finish. Yet, for Wieland, the race was a victory. You see, Bob Wieland was a paraplegic who ran the race with only the use of his arms. His legs had been blown off in Vietnam by a grenade. Wieland is an example of what a person can accomplish if they have the determination and grit to work hard and not quit.
“It Couldn’t Be Done”
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That maybe it couldn’t, but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he tried.
So, he buckled right in with a trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done and he did it!
Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that:
At least no one has ever done it.”
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he’d begun it,
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn’t be done and he did it!
There are thousands to tell you
It cannot be done.
There are thousands to prophesy failure.
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle right in, with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That cannot be done and you’ll do it!
Calvin Coolidge reminds us that “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Henry W. Longfellow wrote to his father “I am not sure as yet for what my talents fit me, but I am determined to be eminent in something.”
Do your best, run your race, and don’t quit. Keep going in spite of the obstacles you face. The biggest key to spiritual success is much like success in the temporal word: hard work. God does not bless laziness and shoddiness, but He does bless hard work and effort. So, work hard for the Lord and keep your life “On the Mark.”
