I thought briefly of killing it, but I didn’t because I found its dedication far too admirable; it would be cruel to kill a creature so determined.
Finally on about the 100th try, it climbed up, spread its wings and flew off as if it had never struggled at all. It got me thinking. In life, when we encounter problems, it is often tempting to give up and stop trying. It is something I have often struggled with.
In our world of instant gratification and quick solutions it becomes easy to lose patience with ourselves and with God. Why bother climbing the wall? What’s the point of struggling and failing over and over again? In the modern world, a product that fails initially and repeatedly, that does not perform perfectly when we think it should, is rarely given a second chance. But God gives second chances.
God did not make us to be perfect. He wanted us to be free, free to live and make mistakes, and if something is wrong He does not give up on us. He gives us second, third and fourth chances, and chances even beyond that.
Jesus, when asked how many times someone should be forgiven, responded: “Not seven times, but 77 times.” There is no limit to forgiveness, and that is a fact I have taken great comfort in.
It is often easy to forget this. How often do we judge each other? How often do we not forgive each other for slights, perceived or real? Sometimes (and I am guilty of this) we do not forgive ourselves for things beyond our control.
It is truly hard to forgive, sometimes, and God knows this. He knows that like the insects, we struggle to climb to new heights. Our legs may shake and we may stumble. Regardless, God is there.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago once opined: “The world allows everything, but forgives nothing. God doesn’t allow everything, but forgives everything.”
The modern secular world prides itself on being a welcoming, free environment with none of the “judgment” and “persecution” of religion. But this secular society does not tolerate as much as it thinks it does. For example, people are told they can wear what they want — but the moment anyone dresses too differently from the most popular and trendy individuals, they are teased, or worse, for it. Like insects, they are stepped on for simply living.
God never steps on us. He forgives us and looks at us for who we are, not what we wear or do. When we sin against Him and leave Him behind, He patiently waits for us to return.
Life sometimes provides challenges that can make us feel powerless and make our efforts seem in vain. It is important at times like these that we remember just what the Lord can do for us. The help He gives may not always be evident, but it is never absent.
(Johnson, 20, is a third year English/Concurrent Education student at York University’s Glendon College in Toronto.)