Persistence
Luke 18:1-8 (NIV) (The Message)
Okay, I may be taking this passage way way way out of context. Maybe not. But what exactly is the timeless truth of the passage featured today? Isn’t it persistence? Here was a widow who kept bothering a judge. He didn’t want to be worn out by her petitions so he gave her what she wanted. I’m not sure that says so much about the judge as it does about the woman and her persistence.
I’ve been persistent over the years. I write picture books and the name of my website is “Persistent Picture Book Writer.” I’ve seriously been submitting my manuscripts for two and half years and I have 175 rejections and no acceptances. However, an editor at Putnam Books in New York recently requested I revise a picture book and send it back to her. I’ll probably send it next week. But I’ve been persistent in other ways. Over the past seven years I’ve constantly prayed for my son Ezekiel. I go into his room each evening and pray. Tonight I prayed that he is blessed with some life long friends. I’ve had friends but let them drift away. That has been one of the biggest sorrows in my life, my lack of friends. One friend of mine, actually the first person I ever prayed with, has been missing in action for the past seven years. I haven’t seen him since that afternoon I prayed with him. I had just sold him a bunch of hip-hop records and a Roland S-10 sampling keyboard which I had purchased for $1200. It wasn’t working properly and I begged him to buy it from me for $25. Man, I’m a great salesman. Well, for the past few years I have searched for my friend Fernando, the d.j. with a Gerri-Curl (is that how you spell it?). He kept that hair style even after it was way out of style.
I have been persistent in my efforts to find him. I’ve been looking for years. I began earnestly searching again two months ago. I searched Google, Yahoo, the Social Security Death Index, phone directories on the internet, etc. My search turned up nothing. Tonight, I did it again. And presto, God blessed me with a hit. My old friend Fernando (DJ Scratchmaster FDX) Simpson is dj’ing a wedding just down the street from my house in five days. I’m going to crash that wedding and meet up with my friend. I probably won’t crash the wedding but just get there early enough to see him beforehand. I’m just amazed at what persistence will do for the soul. Friends are important. Persistence is needed in every friendship. Sometimes it’s needed to just make it through the disagreements.
Take it from Dr. Luke who wrote our passage for today. Take it from me. We must be persistent.
In Christ y’all,
Brian
