James 5:11 NLT "We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord's plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy."
 

Lance Armstrong is a walking, excuse me, cycling inspiration. In his book, Go the Distance, Ed Rowell wrote: "If anyone had a reason to give up, it would have been Lance Armstrong. Lance was a world-class cyclist, one of the rare Americans competing in the elite road races of Europe.

In 1996, the twenty-four-year-old climbed to the number-one ranking in his sport but was then diagnosed with testicular cancer. The cancer had metastasized and spread to his lungs and brain. Few expected him to survive the disease" (p. 187) 

He not only survived, he came back like gang busters. In July of 2002, Armstrong won his fourth Tour de France, just six years after being diagnosed with an advanced stage of testicular cancer.

"We have unrealized capacities that only emerge in crisis--capacities for enduring, for living, for hoping, for caring, for enjoying. Each time we overcome pain, I believe that we grow." Armstrong says. "Cancer was the making of me: Through it I became a more compassionate, complete, and intelligent man, and therefore a more alive one."  (http://www.forbes.com/asap/2001/1203/064.html)

Sometimes, as in Armstrong's case, what we think will be the ruin of us becomes what brings out the best in us. What could be our undoing, can become our finest hour. It is all a matter of determination...and endurance.

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For more information on Go the Distance, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805421505/freshministry