Perseverance…
a lesson that our family saw brought to life this weekend. Elijah has been boxing for well over a year, putting in the hard work five days a week at the gym with his big brother, who is a national champion and his dad, who is his coach. In today’s times when video games and watching TV are more the norm than physical activity, it is refreshing to see kids engaged in a sport that requires more than just ‘showing up’ and depending on others to do the hard work.
I am inspired with his can do attitude each time he is matched against his opponent. He listens to his coach and the crowd cheering him on and does his very best each time. There are times when he should have won, and others where the loss was the right call by the judges. And with each loss, there is a life lesson to be had – that it’s not always about winning, but doing your best on a consistent basis. myDarlin’ Robert Kenui Pope and I would often speak of our kids and how sports and music have provided the foundation of teaching many of life’s lessons, and I know that he was always in their corner regardless of the outcome.
With thirteen losses, Elijah went into this weekend’s match with the same can do attitude as always. And his perseverance paid off with his first ever victory. And as he got out of the van upon arriving home, he held his belt high and said this is mine! I wanted to capture his emotions, his account of the match, so I interviewed him. He said, “So, I was actually saying in my head that I may not win, but I’m going to fight! And when we were fighting, he did throw some hard punches, but me – the great warrior – stood in his way with so many jabs and good punches…. And last but not least, the refs called us over and said, the winner….. fighting out of the red corner…. And…. I WAS red.” I asked him how it felt, to which he responded, “Awesome! Everything is cool when you’re part of the team!”
His perseverance paid off, but I saw something more…. Even though this was an individual match, he saw it as a win for the team. And they rejoiced with him.
Today I am grateful not only for Elijah’s win, but all of our wins as we face our everyday matches. Some days we win, some days we lose, but it is with perseverance that we keep on and know that our individual efforts all contribute to God’s team of victorious warriors.
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