As a kid, when I would get “kinda” sick, my mom would give me terrible-tasting medicine. I would hide it, run from it, and even say I had taken it when I hadn’t. Those are things I did “as a kid” and when I was “kinda” sick.
As adults, when we sometimes face true sickness, we don’t run from our treatments. We take radiation and chemo treatments. We go into hospitals and take medicine every few hours. These don’t just taste bad; they are hard. We do them anyway.
Mark 2:1-12 the story about one occasion when Jesus was preaching and healing. As was he was preaching, four friends brought a paralyzed man to Jesus for him to heal. As they approached the house where Jesus was teaching, it became obvious there was no way for them to get in to see Jesus.
As they approached where Jesus was preaching, I wonder what the conversation was like. Maybe one of them said, ‘Well, we can’t get near Jesus, so let’s come back another day.” Of course that is not what they did. Maybe that thought never entered their mind. What they did was find a different way. The doors were blocked. The people were all around Jesus. Maybe Jesus was in the middle of telling one of his parables when he heard a pounding on the roof. Next, pieces of the roof began to fall on the people around Jesus. Finally, a man on a stretcher was lowered down by ropes right into the middle of the crowd.
The rest of the story tells about the amazing way Jesus healed the paralyzed man, but I want you to focus on the four friends who brought him to Jesus.
They cared deeply about their paralyzed friend.
They cared enough to help.
They didn’t leave him with a “let me know If you need anything.”
When faced with a huge obstacle, they would not quit.
They simply would not let obstacles stop them.
Sometimes life is hard, obstacles seem overwhelming. Winners don’t whine and quit. They looked for ways to overcome.
Some people find a way.
Some people find an excuse to quit trying.
I know because I have been on both sides of that fence, but only one side makes me happy.
If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.
It is the behavior of faith.
Lonnie Davis