Page 23 - Have Faith Oct_Neat

Day 26 There is a time for winning and a time for losing...

Winners were once losers... 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
It is true that failure and losing are essential living. I know in my heart that the little bit of
parts of success and winning. I look with awe me is starting to get bigger and bigger be-
at our tennis ace, Andy Murray. It is not so cause I asked for God's help. I didn't get help
long ago that we saw his disappointment at straight away, I had to fail a few times more
losing in the final of Wimbledon. Disappoint- before I saw the road I needed to walk down
ment, frustration, exhaustion, I really felt for to win. I haven't won yet but I feel my first title
him. It seemed for years he could not quite is just around the corner. Going back to
get to the heights he wanted, no matter how Psalms, I found this: Psalm 37:23-24 “The
he tried it just wasn't happening. Then all of Lord makes firm the steps of the one who de-
a sudden, a year later, it all started to fall into lights in him; though he may stumble, he will
place. Everything paid off and he lifted the not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his
first of two Wimbledon titles. Success was hand.” Again, a great bible verse that inspires
just beginning. He is now the World's No:1 us to go on. Lyricist and Novelist Paulo
and he has just about won everything going. Coelho once wrote “Defeat is for the valiant.
But to get there he had to lose and fail over Only they will know the honour of losing and
and over again, each time making himself a the joy of winning. I am not here to tell you
little more experienced and a little stronger. that defeat is a part of life: we all know that.
The essence of his success was the willing- Only the defeated know Love. Because it is
ness to keep trying and that old virtue, pa- in the realm of love that we fight our first bat-
tience. Contrary to popular belief, losing and tles – and generally lose. I am here to tell you
failure are nothing more than processes to that there are people who have never been
success and normally happen when you are defeated. They are the ones who never
not ready to win or succeed yet. The impor- fought. They managed to avoid scars, humil-
tant thing here is to keep trying. This has iations, feelings of helplessness, as well as
been such a hard, personal battle for me. those moments when even warriors doubt the
The amount of times I have almost given up existence of God.’’ No matter how many
over my own illness is unreal but every time I times you have failed or lost, you are not a
think that way, there is a very small part of me loser or failure. You just haven't won or suc-
that pushes me on to keep trying and to keep ceeded yet.

Have Faith 23 |