The spirit and principle of the second mile

Do you know what it is like to suffer, or have you realized the great difficulty in your life? Perhaps you have faced great deprivation or illness. Or maybe you have been cast into the role of caring for an afflicted loved one. How do you, or did you handle it? Did you run away? I was a runner for most of my life. When life became difficult… I ran. But, I no longer run.

History loves to record the names of men who conquered the malice of their fate by the spirit and principle of the second mile. There was blind Huber who went against all odds and became a great scientist, or blind Fawcett who became the postmaster general of England.

Have you done anything great in your life?

How about Cervantes using imprisonment to begin his classic work, “Don Quixote,” or Bunyan glorifying Bedford jail and honoring God with his work, “Pilgrim’s Progress.”

I like the idea that every honest piece of work, no matter how humble is cooperation with God in building the universe! What do you think?

Here I am approaching my 85th. year. My darling wife Nancy is in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer’s disease as well as multiple sclerosis and the prognosis is bleak. Do I want her there? No! A thousand times no!

I go in each day and spend time with my sweetie.

I suppose I am learning that the way to avoid the slavishness of necessity is to be willing, if possible, to do more than is demanded. Yes, this is called, “going the second mile.”

There are those dear ones that sit day after day waiting, yearning for their family members to visit, to no avail.

I wonder how our Holy God considers the abandonment of our loved ones? Certainly, He is not pleased.