Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Never give up!

I think it is funny that I have decided to post the following poem. In the past, I have been known to give up on things and just try to go to something different. I can share numerous occasions where I wish I had not given up, finished what I was doing, and then changing it around after I finished the season, job, etc. Monday night, (the day that I was suppose to blog this), my room mate shared this poem at Family Home evening. I liked it because it shows how people really feel when they see someone never give up.


"Quit! Give up! You're beaten!"
They shout at me and plead.
There's just too much against you now.
This time you can't succeed!

And as I start to hang my head
In front of failure's face
My downward fall is broken by
The memory of a race.

And hope refills my weakened will
As I recall that scene
For just the thought fo that short race
Rejuvenates my being.

A children's race; young boys, young men
How I remember well.
Excitement, sure! But also fear.
It wasn't hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope
Each thought to win that race.
Or tie for first, or if not that
At least take second place.

And fathers watched from off the side,
Each cheering for his son.
And each boy hoped to show his dad
That he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they went
Young hearts and hopes afire.
To win and be the hero there
Was each young boy's desire.

And one boy in particular
Whose dad was in the crowd
Was running near the lead and thought,
My dad will be so proud!

But as they speeded down the field
Across a shallow dip.
The little boy, who thought to win,
Lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself
His hands flew out to brace,
And, mid the laughter of the crowd,
He fell flat on his face.

So down he fell, and with him hope.
He couldn't win it now.
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished
To disappear somehow.

But as he fell, his dad stood up
And showed his anxious face
That to the boy so clearly said;
Get up and win the race!

He quickly rose, no damage done.
Behind a bit, that's all
And ran with all his mind and might
To make up for his fall.

So anxious to restore himself
To catch up and win,
His mind went faster than his legs;
He slipped and fell again.

He wished that he had quit before
with only one disgrace
I'm hopeless as a runner, now.
I shouldn't try to race.

But in the laughing crowd he searched
And found his father's face,
That steady look that said again,
Get up and win the race.

So up he jumped to try again
Ten yards behind the last
If I'm to gain those yards, he thought,
I've got to move real fast.

Exerting everything he had,
He regained eight of ten
But trying hard to catch the lead
He slipped and fell again.

Defeated! He lay there silently
A tear dropped from his eye
There's no sense running anymore.
Three strikes; I'm out. Why try?

The will to rise had disappeared.
All hope had flown away.
So far behind; so error prone-
A loser all the way.

I've lost, so what's the use, he thought.
I'll live with my disgrace.
But then he thought about his dad,
whom soon he'd have to face.

Get up, an echo sounded low,
Get up and take your place.
You were not meant for failure here,
Get up and win the race.

With borrowed will, get up, it said.
You haven't lost at all.
For winning is no more than this:
To rise each time you fall.

So up he rose to run once more
And, with a new commit,
He resolved that win or lose
At least he wouldn't quit.

So far behind the others now,
The most he'd ever been,
Still he gave it all he had;
He ran as though to win.

Three times he'd fallen, stumbling,
Three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win,
He still ran to the end.

They cheered the winning runner
As he crossed the line first place,
Head high, and proud, and happy,
No falling; no disgrace.

But when the fallen youngster
Crossed the line last place,
The crowd gave him the greater cheer
For finishing the race.

And even though he came in last
With head bowed low, unproud,
You would have thought he won the race,
To listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said,
I didn't do so well.
To me, you won, his father said.
You rose each time you fell.

And now when things seem dark and hard
And difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy
Helps me in my race.

For all of life is like that race,
With ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win
Is rise each time you fall.

"Quit! Give up! You're beaten!"
They still shout in my face.
But another voice within me says
Get up and win the race!

Well I am finally here at BYU-Idaho. Through the support of many family, friends, and everyone else I am finally somewhere I feel comfortable and willing to learn. Hopefully when I finish this race, I will feel as good as this boy was when everyone cheered for him. Ill let you know in 4 years!!!!

3 comments:

  1. Love that poem. If I am ever asked to share a message at our weekday RS meeting, maybe I will just read that.

    Oh, my word verification was pleame.

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  3. I love that poem, if my primary kids could sit still for 2 minutes I might have stolen it too. Remember you won't feel like going to school every day, some days you will really, really not want to go but just like church, those are the days you need to go the most.

    I'm so, so proud of you Brian! And we miss you...especially on Sundays.

    And my word was 'subonis'

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