Undaunted

I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. (Psalm 138:1-5 ESV). Courage in the face of difficulty or failure is “easier said than done”! The following humorous story epitomizes the attitude that produces a sense of confidence in the face of difficulty: A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat. "I'm the greatest hitter in the world," he announced. Then he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed. "Strike One!" he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed. "Strike two!" he cried. The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. "Strike Three! Wow!" he exclaimed. "I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!" Your attitude determines how circumstances impact your life. The little boy's circumstances hadn't changed, but his optimistic attitude prompted him to give an encouraging meaning to what had happened. Much of the way we face our future depends on how we view life’s experiences. Zig Ziglar may be one of the most gifted motivational speakers of our day. He said, “I’m so optimistic I’d go after Moby Dick in a rowboat and take the tartar sauce with me.” If we expect to win, often we will be winners. Sometimes the score may not reflect that we have beaten our opponent, but we will still be winners. That was a lesson I learned early in my college days. We practiced a tradition of never admitting defeat. We may have been outscored on a particular day, but we never lost. That attitude has proven to be a key in many experiences in life. What difficult time are you going through right now? Can you do something to change it? If you can, don't wait another day, make the needed changes. If you can't change the circumstance, however, change your attitude. You'll discover that circumstances won't have the last word.