Perseverance

The rushing water was the only sound I could hear as I stood on a bridge overlooking the sculptured rocks geologic area. On both sides, I could look down and see the curves and bowls carved out of hard metamorphic rock by the persistence of small grains of sand.

Persistence - constant pressure - not giving up. Sometimes because you choose to be there, sometimes because you are stuck. So many thoughts were running through my brain. Such as the ways small groups of people persist in making change, sometimes big change in our world, whether for good or ill. The way that one step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other again and again, moves us forward - up to a mountain peak, through a valley, around the next bend - onward. How the persistent pressure of plant roots can break concrete and make their way to life giving soil.

What comes to mind when you think of that word? Persistence.

It's not just a grain of sand. It's also the forces behind the grain of sand - the water and the water cycle. The encouragement of others, the hope that there is something worth experiencing if you keep going, the belief that each step matters, necessity. There are so many forces acting as a motivator.

Sometimes I'm the grain of sand, sometimes I'm the water, sometimes I'm both. Which one resonates with you right now?

I am so thankful for the motivators. I'm thankful for the grains of sand too. I'm thankful for the beauty that comes from perseverance and the connections that are made because of it.