. . . do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Hebrews 10:35
Ever have discouraging days? Me, too. In fact, recently one thing after another wasn’t going well. I was tempted to close my laptop forever, find a quiet corner and eat chocolate. Instead, I reached for the Bible.
Suddenly, it seemed as though Hebrews 10:35 had been written just for me: “Do not throw away your confidence.” Then the memory of a long-ago morning made me smile.
My then teen daughter arrived home from college and insisted we go horseback riding. At the stable, her favorite horse was available, but the docile critter I usually rode already was on the trail. So the stable manager led a feisty black horse to the mounting block. I placed my left foot in the stirrup and started to swing my right leg over the saddle. But the horse decided he didn’t want a rider and began a sidestep dance. There I was, one foot in the stirrup and the other poised in midair.
The frantic stable owner hopped from foot to foot below me. “Don’t quit now, ma’am!” he yelled. “Don’t quit now!”
Are you kidding? I couldn’t quit. I had no choice but to grab the little strength I had, shift my weight and shove my right foot into the stirrup. The horse gave a defeated snort, and I turned his head toward the trail.
So on wearying days, I now try to ponder the words of both the stable owner and Hebrews 10:35–“Don’t quit now!” and “Do not throw away your confidence.” Yes, good things are ahead—if we don’t quit.
Sandra P. Aldrich is an award-winning author and international speaker. Visit her at sandraaldrich.com