As M. Dunham wrote, "Sir Edmund Hilary was the first person to conquer Mt.
Everest. The first time he tried, he failed. He was knighted by the Queen of
England, and at the gala occasion, on the wall behind the head table, was a huge
picture of Mt. Everest. The people gave him a standing ovation for even daring
to attempt the climb. When they ceased applauding, Hilary turned his back to the
audience, faced that picture and said, "Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once
and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm
going to win because you can't get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can."
Great attitude! What a difference it would make if we felt the same when we face
the mountains in our lives. The reality of life is that we learn more through
our failures than we do through our successes.
Successes are satisfying and they are important to keep us encouraged. However,
failure is our greatest teacher. This is because in every failure there is the
opportunity to learn, to grow, and to become stronger, better persons. And this
is what God wants for each of us–not to beat ourselves up but to grow!
Whatever mountain you are facing at this time of your life–large or
small–remember God is right there with you. If anything is his will for you, you
know that with his help you, too, can say to your mountain, "You have defeated
me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and
I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger and I can. Plus God is on my
side to help me."
By Dick Innes, Daily Encounter
www.actsweb.org/detoday . Used by permission.
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