Hopeful Endurance

April 16, 2014

I’ve been having a lot of migraines lately.  For the last five weeks or so, it seemed they were occurring about once a week.  One was so bad I was throwing up.  For the most part, though, I work through it the best I can.  Last week, someone said to me, “I don’t know how you do it when you have a migraine.”  She was wondering how I keep going, how do I go to work, etc.  That particular day the headache was about a 6/10 on the pain scale.

I told her that I have found that if I just get going in what I need to do, the distraction works to get my mind off the headache.  In thinking about it more, I usually tend to remember a quote from my grandmother, “I’m going to feel bad either way so I may as well get up and do something.”  That’s true a lot of the time.  Granted there are some headaches that put me in bed but most I try to power through on this philosophy.

Later that afternoon, I was driving to campus to teach class and I was remembering the conversation about my headaches.  It dawned on me that there is actually a much bigger motivation – one that I had known but had never really put words to.  Just the night before, in a Bible study with my small group sisters, we were discussing two types of patience in the Bible. 

One type of patience derives from the Greek word makrothumia which means long-suffering, endurance, or perseverance.  It is putting up with things or circumstances.  The other type of patience derives from the Greek word hupomone which also means endurance and perseverance but with an important distinction: it is inspired by hope.  It is looking for a positive outcome or expected end.

I bring this up not to get lost in Greek words (which is what happens to me) but rather highlight what this looks like in action.  When I have a bad headache, I try my best to get up and get going because the distraction is good for me.  But I also get up and get going because I have hope of my headache getting better.  I have hope that if I get moving that maybe my neck will loosen up which will alleviate my headache.  I have hope that the medication will kick in and alleviate my headache.  Hope is my real motivation.

We all have things we struggle with.  Because of what I do professionally, I see people’s struggles all the time.  But why do we struggle?  Why do we keep pushing through?  Because the big picture is not the struggles.  The big picture is the hope of eternal life with my God and my Lord and Savior.  The point of this world is not this world but rather to look toward the positive outcome or expected end.  I am full of hope!

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

~~ Heb. 10:35-36