reward

Sometimes, life just doesn’t seem fair. We work and work and work and seemingly can’t catch a break. Sometimes, we go through life thinking that it just doesn’t matter what I do–I’m never going to get ahead. We might be working long hours. We might be working two or more jobs. We might be working and going to school to get ahead. We might simply be struggling with balancing home and work life. After a while, all this work and no play creates an unbelievable amount of stress in our lives. I know there were times in my life when I struggled with many of those issues. I questioned why I worked so hard for seemingly little reward. Sometimes, it seemed like it would be easier to simply quit and give up and stop treading water, but I kept on going anyway. If you have ever felt that way or currently feel this way, I encourage you to continue on your journey.

Several months ago, I decided to drive by the very first house I can remember our family living in when I was a young child. I am not sure why I wanted to do that but for some reason I was just in the mood to think back on my childhood. I managed to drive by this small, brick home with so many great memories. What immediately struck me was this huge pink blossom tree in the front yard. I don’t even know what type of tree it was; perhaps a dogwood or pink dogwood. Nonetheless, I distinctly remembered my dad planting this tree probably over 45 years ago. I remembered watching him plant that small sapling on that particular day all those years ago and now it was a strong, blossoming tree towering over the front yard. It so reminded me of Galatians 6:9 when it speaks of letting us not lose heart in doing good for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

I am sure that little tree endured through many terrible winters and hot summers, but it endured. It took years and years for it to grow into the beautiful tree that now graces that yard, but the beauty is now there for others to enjoy. What was planted years ago is now more breathtaking than ever.

In my life, I have learned to focus less on the short-term and more on what God’s purpose is for my life. If I focus on His purpose and the long-term goal, I am not as concerned with short term setbacks. Instead of looking at setbacks as road blocks, they become merely stepping stones to the larger purpose. Just because I don’t see an immediate reward for what I am doing doesn’t mean there isn’t a benefit. It just may mean that I need to endure and keep moving on and the reward may come later, sometimes in ways I could never imagine.

As you think about your day, your life, and your purpose—don’t grow weary. Who would have thought that an innocent sapling planted over 50 years ago would have reminded me of such a Godly promise? Keep moving on and don’t be discouraged and you will reap in due time.

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It was always an exciting time to get to spend some time with my Dad. Like most families, we were all busy. He worked long hours so that my Mom didn’t have to work. Whenever we had something planned together, I knew it was going to be something special.

This particular day, we were going to hike together down a country road which began at my grandmothers house and ended a couple of miles away at a Country Store that my Great Uncle owned and operated at the time. If we could make the entire trip, my reward was to be able to get a Coke and Ice Cream at my Great Uncle’s store. It couldn’t get any better than that.

I can remember the seemingly long journey down the road. Along the way, we talked about all the different people that lived in the houses we passed and what my Dad may have known about them. I can remember that we passed an old, run-down house that was about to fall from decay. It flashed through my mind who may have lived there and what had happened for the house to be in such poor shape. We passed an old logging company and admired all the logs that were cut and trimmed and the massive trucks that delivered them. We chased off a few stray dogs that didn’t appreciate us approaching their territory. We even relived my Dad’s story as a young boy when he mentioned he was playing at this logging company and almost got struck by lightening.

It was a long hike to my Uncle’s store, and I was beginning to get tired, but there was something special about the journey itself. Knowing that I had this great reward at the end of the journey made the journey seem more bearable. I knew that I had a nice, cold Nutty Buddy or Fudge-Sickle awaiting me at the end, so any adversity I faced along the hike with sore feet or shortness of breath was going to be all worth it when I reached the finish line.

Boy, was I right. Nothing tasted so good as that cold ice cream. I’m sure it probably melted all over me, but I didn’t care. I was hot and tired from the long journey and I was enjoying my reward. What we had discussed on the journey or the pain I had felt just didn’t matter anymore. I had reached my goal and received my reward.

It often helps me during life’s “journey” to realize that I have a heavenly reward awaiting me at the end, whenever that end might be. Life is tough. Let’s not kid anyone. Sometimes our hike through life is a struggle, whether it be health issues, financial issues, relationship issues or whatever life “throws” at us. More often than not, we become defeated and even depressed and convince ourselves that we’re not going to make it.

It’s at these times that I make a point to remember to fall in love with the Journey itself and that as down as I may be; as defeated as I sometimes may feel; when I do finally reach the finish line, my heavenly reward will make life’s journey seem all worth it. After I have fought the good fight, the rewards will be more than I could even imagine. There’s something liberating about knowing that you may lose a few battles along the way, but you’ve already won the war. Keeping my eye on the finish line, just as I did that hot summer day hiking to my Uncle’s Store makes the journey seem more bearable.

Having Faith Not To Grow Weary

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