Endurance Has Arrived

It’s been a while since I last wrote. Life has been full; busy in ways that stretch both the mind and the spirit. A few hours ago, while making scrambled eggs, the thought to write kept nudging me. I paused everything, set everything aside, and picked up my writing tool… and here I am.

The past few weeks have been intense, filled with mandatory trainings, responsibilities, and mentally demanding tasks. I’ve been stretched, challenged, and required to show up daily with focus and strength. But in the middle of all that, something stayed with me.

Let’s talk about Endurance…. not just as a concept, but as a SHIP

Part of my role in the military involves Observing, Coaching, and Training. A few weeks ago, while observing and training a unit during an exercise, one of the injects (in the OCT world, an “inject” is a piece of information or scenario introduced to test reactions and decision-making) came in:

“Endurance has arrived.”

Endurance was described as a ship carrying valuables. It had spent weeks maybe months on water, facing storms, harsh weather, and uncertainty. Yet, after everything it went through… it arrived.

That moment sat with me.

Because in many ways, that ship is us.

We are all carrying something valuable- our purpose, our calling, our responsibilities. Some are serving their country. Some are working tirelessly, hoping to be seen. Some are building homes, raising children, studying for degrees, or simply trying to stay afloat in seasons that feel overwhelming.

And through it all, we endure.

But it’s important to understand this:

Not everything is meant to be endured.

There is a difference between enduring what God has called you to walk through… and remaining in situations God never designed for you.

God does not call you to endure abuse.

God does not call you to remain in toxic relationships hoping they will change while you are being drained, disrespected, or diminished.

God does not call you to carry burdens that are not yours; like constantly overextending yourself to sustain others at the cost of your own well-being.

Wisdom is knowing the difference.

Endurance is for the process that produces you, not the situations that destroy you.

We see different forms of God-ordained endurance throughout Scripture.

For some, endurance looks like Hannah; quietly praying and trusting God in a season of waiting. Year after year, she brought her desires before Him, and in time, her endurance arrived.

For others, endurance looks like Noah, a man who was given an instruction that didn’t make sense at the time: build an ark. There was no rain, no visible sign, yet he obeyed God consistently. Day after day, he built. People likely questioned him, misunderstood him, maybe even mocked him but he stayed focused on what God told him to do. And when the rain finally came, what once looked foolish became the very thing that preserved him. His endurance arrived.

And then there are moments like The Woman with the Issue of Blood, twelve long years of suffering, trying everything, yet refusing to give up completely. And in one moment, one touch, everything changed. After years of pain… her endurance arrived.

Just like that ship.

It endured storms.

It endured delays.

It endured uncertainty.

But it was still aligned with its destination and it arrived.

And so will you.

As you endure, make sure you are aligned with God’s will. Make sure what you are holding onto is what He has actually called you to carry.

Your prayers are not wasted.

Your obedience is not unseen.

Your endurance when rooted in God will always produce something meaningful.

Endurance has arrived.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Give me the wisdom to know what to endure and what to release. Strengthen me for the journey You have called me to, and help me not to remain in places You never designed for me. Teach me to trust You, to follow Your direction, and to walk in obedience.

Just as You came through for Hannah, Noah, and The Woman with the Issue of Blood, I trust that my endurance in You will not be in vain.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen