2 Chronicles 15:7
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
Still round the corner there may wait,
A new road or a secret gate.
J. R. R. Tolkien
Every time I read the quote above I get nostalgic. I struggled as a child to learn to read. I am dyslexic. No one knew it until I entered high school and a teacher who was also dyslexic recognized the signs.
When I was young I learned to read because of my best friend. Angie read anything she could get her hands on! She would tell me the most fascinating stories of faraway places she had escaped to. I wanted to go!
She was so patient with me as I struggled to make those letters sit still long enough to turn them into words. Never once did I feel stupid with her. She continuously encouraged by regaling me about her newest adventure.
When we finally discovered a few tricks to help me out, I was off! I was soon searching for buried treasure, fighting an evil witch and following white rabbits down holes. I knew with every book I was sure to find a new road or a secret gate.
It has been many years and thousands of adventures. I still love getting lost in a book. Some of my favorite places to escape are with Frodo Baggins, Peter Pan, Tom Sawyer and Dorthy Gale. However, one place I return to the most is to visit with a lion in a land called Narnia.
I don’t care how many times I read the book or watch the movie, I still hold my breath when we first meet Aslan. Then tears swell up and anger rises within me as he lays his life down for Edmund. Finally, the cheers and excitement as he is resurrected and defeats the witch.
Just like my best friend, these adventures encourage me to keep going.
Paul in another book, 2 Chronicles 15:7, also encourages us to not give up. “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
My work was rewarded. I never gave up on learning to read. Now the world (and other worlds) all lay before me.
So, when you face another tough problem remember to keep going because still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate.
Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.