Not Giving Up

When I first announced that I would be moving to Atlanta, many people responded in one of two ways. Half of my friends and family bombarded me with recommendations on places to eat. After all, Atlanta is a foodie paradise and I have enjoyed every bite so far! The other half of my friends and family, however, were less enthusiastic about this city. For all of its beauty, culture, and of course food, there is one thing that many people cannot stand about Atlanta: the traffic! It’s the reason many people give up on Atlanta.

So far they’ve been absolutely right! The traffic here is terrible! Luckily, there’s a pretty good train system that I can take to work. I usually tell people that I like to take the train into work because I’m committed to being “green,” and because taking care of the environment is something that I take very seriously. While all of the above is true, it’s not the whole truth about why I take public transportation to work. The real reason is that I know myself and my past experience with road rage. I’d rather not start my day on a bad note.

Don’t Give Up

Commuting by train has been going really well for me, except for one bit. You see, at the end of the day, in order to get from my job to the train station, I have to walk about half a mile up an incredibly steep hill. The first two days I’d reach the top of the hill and be inevitably sweaty, smelly, and upset.

“This is going to be too hard,” I told myself. “Maybe I should just give up and drive to work.”

I decided to give it just one more day and was surprised at what happened. Not only did I make it up the hill faster and easier than the past two days, but the sweat and smell were minimal, and I didn’t feel like my legs were falling off!

I smile as I think about what a great metaphor this is for my life. All too often, when things get hard, I give up. But maybe when things get tough, it only means that it’s time to prove to myself that I’m tougher.

“We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope (Romans 5:3-4, NLT).

If you liked this, you might also enjoy Giving Up | Persistence With God 

Jael Amador writes from New York.

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