Ready to Give Up?

A couple of days ago I was doing my daily reading and this scripture really popped out at me and I thought I should share it with you.

Luke 5:1-7
     One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
     When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish." 
     "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again." And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

When reading this, Simon was crazy!! Think about it! Simon and the other fishermen were out ALL NIGHT trying to catch fish and they didn't catch anything! Jesus told Simon to go where it's deeper and let down his nets and the obedience Simon had to go out there is incredible. Just think what would have happened if Simon said no.

Think about it in your life how many times you have tried and tried at something and constantly have been discouraged. You want to give up, you want to quit and when people tell you to keep trying you probably have the attitude of being: PFFFTTT, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! I HAVE TRIED ALL DAY AND YOU WANT ME TO KEEP TRYING???!!!

Simon had that obedience! Simon went out after being out there all night trying and trying. Simon went out again with hope. After being discouraged he went out with hope, still trying and having faith.

It is a huge challenge for me to continue to keep going when you constantly try and nothing seems the way you want it to go, nothing comes through the way you want it to, or even how you expected it to be. But that is life, we try and try and sometimes it just doesn't happen. Sometimes it just doesn't work. But we must not give up very easily. We must continue to go, continue to seek, continue to try and try again. It may be hard at that time but in the end it will be rewarding.

I am inspired by a friend, Li Mei,  from Thailand who's motto was "Never Give Up!" I can hear it so clearly when we would be together eating the abundance amount of Thai food on the table. Our plates are full with food and it keeps being added to the plate every time. You eat and eat and feel as though your stomach is going to burst and Li Mei would pile the food on when you just finished two plates and  say Never Give Up...

NEVER GIVE UP!! Just like Simon never gave up! Continue to go through your struggles, continue to battle the hardship, continue to seek the light at the end of the tunnel because it will come. Give it to God and walk through it with him! Ask God for help, know that you are not alone and that you can continue on this journey with God by your side.

Are you going to give up or are you going to try and try again?