​ by Linda Hokit
 
“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 what God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 NIV
 
I remember many things from my child years. One thing I heard more than once when I fell down was, “Well, get back up. Come on, you can do it. Jump up and go play.” In other words, perseverance was often the word of the day!
 
One day, while falling and getting up, I peered through slates of the basket weave fence that encompassed our backyard.  When I did, I saw a swing set in the next yard. So, of course I climbed the fence while my mom innocently imagined her two-year old was corralled in the backyard. Little did she know I had successfully climbed that fence many times in order to get to the swing. Hence, the attached picture. My father thought he was taking a picture of his talented firstborn, only to caught me falling instead.
 
One day the next-door neighbor once again saw me in her backward uninvited. She realized something had to be done. So, she grabbed my little hand and hauled me home. By the end of that visit my mom had a new friend and I had a new swing set up safely in my own backyard!
 
My grandparents also fell down and rose up when they moved from Oklahoma to Arizona. Later, they moved to California which makes them Okies. Soon after arriving in Arizona, they set out to pick fields. My granny walked a field and then report to my papaw who had cholera at the time; he would then bid the field. While granny and the kids picked, she homeschooled them, fed the family and took care of sick husband! Later, my grandparents started various businesses. My father did the same with their encouragement while still in high school.
 
One thing led to another and they made another move to California to once again start over. While there, they helped start a church where my papaw was the song leader. In his later years, my papaw had a stroke and could not drive. So, the family got a clever idea and asked the town if my papaw could have permission to drive a golf cart around. He never stopped working even though he could not go far without his crotch or his golf buggy.
 
My mother’s mother grew up differently, but was likewise influential on her children and grandchildren. She lived in South Carolina and always had a garden of flowers and another for food, which was quite the playground for a suburban child from California. She was quite the talented gardener and grew corn over eight foot, which I thought was amazing, since I thought picking corn meant deciding between Delmonte and Green Giant. I also remember her as a woman who loved God. When my mom came along, she named her Ruth after Ruth in the Bible. It’s no surprise that my middle name is Ruth, so I knew the story about how Ruth and Naomi persevered at a young age and have often been inspired and encouraged by their story.
 
I have also persevered in many ways as I have grown in life and ministry. Many people have given me a hand up. Have cheered me on. Have advised me. Knowing them, I can say without hesitation, they fell down and got up. They pressed on toward the goal of the call of God on their lives. Their own life challenges were diminished as they let God’s call on their lives pull them along toward their finish line according to God’s plan. I can imagine people in their lives cheering them as well by saying, “Get up! You can do it! We’re here for you! You’re almost there!” Others likely ran alongside when they grew weary.  Sometimes we are the one running the race and sometimes we are the ones cheering.
 
Awhile back, a song writer and performer wrote a song called, “We Fall Down”.  It’s a ballad, about a man who is toiling away, when he passes a monastery. He sees a monk and asks him what they do behind the walls. He answers, “We fall down, but we get up…For a saint is just a sinner who fell down and got up.”
 
As those who follow Christ, we always have someone with us who will pick us up and cheer us along. He walked our road. He hears our cries for forgiven and help. He paid our sin debt. He walks and talks with us. He understands what is means to persevere and to press on toward the goal of a Godly call. May we all submit to call.
 
 
The picture is our blogger, Linda at 2 years falling from a fence she regularly climbed to get to a swing set on the other side!