Never Give Up!‏

Dearest Ones,

We will all go through unpleasant situations in life. Many times, we think, "When I'm going through something" it is always bad news, but if we view it properly, we realize going through is good; it means we are not stuck! At least we're moving forward. Isaiah 43:2 says: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, you shall not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned." God's word is clear: we will go through things. That's not bad news. These are the things that make us people who know how to overcome trouble. We do not grow strong through the good times; we grow most when we go through difficulties without giving up. In 1867, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired to build a bridge connecting New York City with Brooklyn. However, experts thought this was impossible and told him to forget it. Roebling couldn't forget it - his mind was on it all the time. He knew it could be done. He convinced his son, Washington, another engineer, to help him. Together, they drew up plans, hired a crew and began work. Only a few months into it, John fell at the work site and was killed. Three years later, his son, Washington was severely injured, leaving him unable to walk, talk or even move. Everyone had a negative comment about the whole situation. The Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. Despite his handicaps, Washington's mind was sharp as ever. One day an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and with that he started communicating with his wife. He touched his wife's arm with the finger, indicating he wanted her to call the engineers again. He used the method of tapping her arm to tell them what to do. For eleven years Washington tapped out instructions until the bridge was built. Today the bridge stands in all its glory because one man didn't give up! A great deal of credit goes to his wife, who for eleven long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do. No matter what you go through in life, if you know Christ is in you, you do not have to be overwhelmed by any difficulty. It doesn't matter what you do - maybe its cleaning the house, doing the dishes, fighting an illness, maintaining a job, you can do it with God on your side. When trouble comes, instead of saying, "I can't take this anymore," keep saying, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." For every difficulty God provides a way to overcome. Ask Him what you should do. I hope you never find yourself in circumstances as difficult as Washington's, but I hope you will develop the courage necessary to do whatever you need to do in life! Never say, "There is no way." You have what it takes!

In God's everlasting love,
Sister Francelle