The Kids of Integrity Challenge is finished!

Perseverance pops up everywhere

It never ceases to amaze us how the Kids of Integrity lessons inject critical vocabulary into the lives of our kids. We just got back from summer holidays and our week was totally peppered with the word “perseverance” – it popped up everywhere. 

“Let’s persevere in having a good attitude on a long drive.” (Can you tell I said that?)

“I persevered looking for the letters of the alphabet on license plates, and I got them all!” 

“The line is long, but I’m going to persevere because I really want to go on the roller coaster.” 

Every day seemed to call for at least one act of perseverance, and Ben and Jess became proficient in applying the term correctly.

The day we went hiking in the hills for our “Perseverance Walk,” Rob and I deliberated on how far and what kind of terrain the kids could handle. We settled on a 6.7 km path up a ridge with a steep descent on the other side of the loop. It was a hot, sunny day and I wondered how high the “whine-o-meter” would go. What we heard instead surprised us: “Mommy, I’m persevering even though I’m tired.” “Daddy, I know we’ll make it to the end.” There wasn’t even one tiny hint of “I don’t want to do this anymore!”

With perseverance on their minds and our memory verses on their lips, Benjamin and Jessica were determined to finish strong. They were rewarded with gorgeous viewpoints; refreshing, shady water breaks; the satisfaction of accomplishment; and the excitement of calling their grandparents to tell them about the adventure.

Another chance to talk about the benefits of persistence came on our zoo trip. Of course the kids wanted to see every single creature that inhabited the place, so we let them know right off the bat that it would take perseverance to get through all the habitats. The pace varied throughout the day . . . sometimes they lingered, sometimes they zipped, but they always kept going with a good attitude. My own reward for logging the miles came in the form of an unusually active red panda with the most gorgeous bushy, red tail.

Our dictionary’s definition of perseverance states: “to persist . . . in spite of counter influences, opposition, or discouragement.” I like that. I think we should put that on the fridge. It speaks of gumption, a stick-to-itiveness that is bound to eventually breed success wherever it’s applied. It’s what we want for our kids. It’s what will keep them on God’s narrow path when life gets tough. 

With that in mind, we chose the following memory verses: “I can do all things through Christ because He gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13) and “Don’t get tired of doing what is good. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up” (Gal. 6:9). It’s integral that Benjamin and Jessica learn that it’s only with God’s help that they can persevere, and they will be rewarded (not always this side of heaven, but the blessing is still assured).

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• Perseverance