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KEEP ON KEEPING ON! Going The Distance isn't just our name, it's what we do... it's who we are. We are going to finish what we started. Anyone can start something, but are they still keeping on keeping on after the start-up thrill has faded? Are they still rolling up their sleeves and going back to work day-in and day-out. We live in a time in history when giving up has never been easier or more widely accepted. We see it all around us in marriages, parenting, careers, aspirations, dreams, and the list goes on. Once things start getting difficult, too many people start throwing in the towel. And there in lies the tragedy. There is a greater thrill than starting something; it's completing something. Yes, it's great to line-up at the starting line of a marathon with enthusiasm oozing out of every pore and begin running at the sound of the starting gun. But it's so much more incredible to experience crossing the finish line. Overcoming hardships along the way only adds to the satisfaction of completing the race you've started. There is a lot to be said for perseverance. The one who perseveres rarely has regrets. They only have battle scars and cherished war stories of overcoming. Great regrets engulf the quitter. It's day 40 of our 52 Days and we are still keeping on keeping on. We are working day after day at rebuilding the walls of GTD. I haven't taken a day off since we started 40 days ago and I won't relent until it's completed. This is my 19th year of ministry (actually I began working on GTD 5 years before it officially started so technically it's my 24th year of ministry) and I'm still clocking in everyday to build something that makes an eternal impact in people's lives. I haven't done it perfectly. We could be further along than we are right now. But I've never given up. I went the first 6 years without a paycheck. It wasn't until the 10th year that I finally made $12,000 and felt like a millionaire. In 19 years I've put in over 60,000 hours of work into GTD and I've averaged $2.63/hr for my salary. So what's my point? Simply this, rest assured I don't (we don't) give up. We're not in this thing "for the money". This is more than a desire, it's a calling. One thing that can never be said about me is that I quit or that I gave up. Never. Unless God tells me to move on to something else you're going to have to one day peal my cold dead hands off the building blocks of GTD. I'm here to finish what I started. Hopefully that fills you with confidence in this ministry. We are battle tested. We are an all-weather ministry. We are a good investment. We are not giving up. We are keeping on keeping on. We are going the distance. Our desire is to follow in our Savior's footsteps when Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." (John 17:3-4). Jesus finished what He started and it glorified the Father. That's all I need to know. If Jesus is a finisher then that's what I want to be too. Thank you for following our posts about GTD. We hope you will get more involved with this God-awesome ministry. It's an exciting time to be a part of GTD!
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