Could you swim from Cuba to Florida? It’s only 103 miles of shark-infested waters. Diana Nyad did it. Her story caught my attention last week. Video images of the 64 year-old endurance swimmer arriving on the beach in Key West filled the news.
The Florida Strait is a stretch of more than 100 miles. It’s prone to sudden, violent storms, dangerous currents, and jellyfish. Diana Nyad swam it in 53 hours and earned the great distinction of being the first person to do it without a protective cage.
This was Diana’s 5th attempt. She was 29 when she tried the first time. Tries two, three, and four happened between 2011-2012. She failed not once, not twice, and not three-times. Four attempts ended short of the Florida coast. Four times she did not reach her goal.
Do you know what amazes me most about this story? It’s not that Diana Nyad swam 103 miles straight in dangerous water. What amazes me most is that she kept trying until she did it. She never gave up. She didn’t decide she was too old or that it was too hard. She just kept pressing on toward the goal.
Press On to the Goal
I won’t ever attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. But as a believer, I have a continuing responsibility to pursue God’s purposes for me. If you’re a Christian, so do you. We must continue to push forward, to strive for God’s goal for us.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14, NIV
We have a partner in this race. The One who called us and saved us will faithfully complete His work in us through the indwelling presence and power of His Spirit.
We can be confident of this:
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
God calls us to strive, to press on, and then He gives us everything we need to reach the finish line. Hallelujah!
What obstacles have you encountered recently in your Christian race? How has God helped you to overcome?
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