Perseverance Pays Off

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

Today is the first day of the season for the middle school girls basketball team that I coach. So in honor of that, I want to tell you one of my favorite stories about one of the girls on the team. We'll call her Anna (for the sake of privacy). Anna is one of our starters and does so much to help out our team. She's great at stealing the ball. She hustles. She's aggressive. And she's a rebounding MACHINE. However in our first five games last season, she didn't score very much, which frustrated her. 

She and I would have multiple conversations in practice and on the sidelines during games about how she was taking good shots, but they just weren't falling. But I would always tell her to keep shooting, because you're never going to get better and start making shots if you quit. 

When I would tell her this, she'd nod her head and keep trying. But she still only scored a basket or two each game. 

Well about five games into last season, that changed. By the time the first half ended, Anna had hit several shots and was having her best offensive game of the season so far. Her face lit up with the biggest smile after every shot she made. I was so proud of her and excited for her, because she was finally seeing that her perseverance had paid off.

After the game was over, Anna ran over to me and said, "Coach K, you were right! My shots did fall! I just had to keep shooting!" And then she gave me a hug. I had only been coaching for a couple of months at that point, but I had no doubt that that would go down as one of my favorite moments as a coach. 

Not only was I proud of Anna for not giving up, but I was humbled and challenged by the example she had set for me. She may not have realized it, but I needed to be reminded that perseverance does in fact pay off. There's value in not giving up, and the Lord used her to help me remember that truth. 

He also used this moment to paint a picture of His love and support for us as we are persevering. Think about it. If I, a flawed human being, was that happy and excited for Anna, cheering her on as she saw the fruit of her perseverance, how much more excited is a perfect God when He watches us continue to press on towards the good that He has in store for us? 

Friend, whatever you're waiting on today, whatever prayer you're still asking God to answer, and whatever circumstance has you wanting to give up, I hope Anna's example will encourage you like it encouraged me. Perseverance pays off. So stay the course. Keep moving forward. And know that God is cheering for you, always wanting the best for you as you choose to press on.