Persistence

The ancient Jewish people told a story of the patriarch Jacob. One night he met a man and wrestled with him until daybreak. The man was strong and wrestled Jacob's hip out of joint. Still Jacob wrestled. At daybreak, the man wanted to go, but Jacob refused to let him until the man gave him a blessing. The man gave a blessing. Jacob realized he had wrestled with God. But Jacob limped ever afterward.
Jesus told a story about an unjust judge. A widow was persistent in asking for justice.  In the end, against his nature, the unjust judge gave in to her request because she keep asking. Jesus said, God is better than the unjust judge and will always grant justice. But keep asking.
It's as if someone asked a question: why be persistent? And the answer is, "Let me tell you a story ..." After you listen to the story you understand.
Both stories tell us why persistence is a good thing: be persistent and you will receive a blessing; be persistent and God will hear your prayers.
But surely, God could answer your prayers and give you a blessing with only the briefest request? You'd think so. Yet, it doesn't seem to work quite like that. The stories tell us why: God wants you to learn to be persistent.
Persistence is the way the universe works.
Persistence is continuing doggedly in the same direction despite any kind of opposition or difficulty. It's needed because life is full of oppositions and difficulties—in just about any area you can think of. Back in the 1980s I remember wanting to jog. I'd read a report in the local newspaper: exercise is good for you, jogging works, enter the local fun run (a 10K road race). No worries, I thought. I donned my tracksuit and trainers (sneakers) and set out confidently at a brisk pace. Before a quarter mile I was out of breath, stitch in my side, and legs already beginning to ache. By the time I returned home after circling the local housing estate I was bushed. That 10K fun run seemed impossible. I realized quickly, as anyone does who sets a fitness goal, that to do achieve it persistence was required.
I remember, too, the first time I sat in the driver's seat in a car and tried to get the "biting point" between clutch and accelerator in first gear. Impossible! Persistence needed.
And what about the low form of "snake creeps down" in Yang taijiquan? Truly impossible. I have students now who watch the form and say, "I'll never be able to do that!" "Yes you will," I reply. "All you need is persistence. Do a little every day. One day you will find yourself all the way to the floor without realizing it!"
Truth is, nothing worth having comes to us without persistence. The universe delivers her blessings to us liberally after persistence.
Our culture would have us believe something different. In the ads, stuff comes to us quickly and easily and without persistence. It's one of the more difficult lessons to teach our foster kids. For many of them, if it doesn't come easily it's not worth trying. It's hard for college students too.
Recently, I was going through a student's paper carefully with her. I pointed out all the grammar issues, construction issues, and fallacies in her argument. I showed her how to write a better paper. "I'll never be able to do that!" she responded. So, I told her that before I read a paper at a conference it will have been through probably at least a dozen drafts. That before publication it will go through numerous more. That writing is revising and revising, wrestling with the ideas, wrestling with expression, wrestling with form and construction. Much about writing is persistence.
Our culture has it wrong. The universe does not easily deliver its blessing. But, bless you she will when you are persistent.
+Ab. Andy
(Incidentally, Jane and I both completed the Rochdale 10K fun run in 1983. I went on to found a running club and ran many 10Ks and a few half marathons.)