“Be strong and don’t give up, your work will be rewarded.”
- - 2 Chronicles 15:7
You’d have to be living in a cave
not to know of John Grisham – the author of 25 bestselling legal thrillers that
sold over 60 million copies worldwide. You
might not know of Grisham’s generosity however.
Talent and humility – two adjectives seldom used to describe the mega-famous.
As a child, this attorney/politician-turned-author dreamed
of a professional baseball career. After
his remarkable success, he built several ball fields on his property to host
Little League teams. The son of a cotton
farmer, Grisham contributed heavily to restoration efforts following Hurricane
Katrina.
After the first one, Grisham knew the rest would be equally bad,
showing no sign of creative talent. It
read like it was written on a typewriter . . . by a typewriter! This was easily some of the worst fiction he
had ever perused, and keep in mind he’d read Patterson – once you put one of his
books down, you simply couldn’t pick it up again!
But Grisham was a kind man, and he told the elderly
gentleman as tenderly as possible that the stories lacked much value. As a professional he wouldn’t lie to the man
and even though disappointed, the guy respected Grisham's conclusion.
He apologized for taking up the famous author’s time, but
would he just look at a few more stories - these done by a younger writer? Grisham agreed, out of both guilt and
curiosity.
They met as planned the next day. Grisham was thunderstruck! This
collection was powerfully emotive, morally significant, and artfully spontaneous. "These," he said, "are very
good! This student has great potential;
his future will be bright so long as he works hard and sticks to it!
The old fellow was deeply moved. "When can I meet this
fine young author?" Grisham asked.
"Your son?"
"No," said the old man sadly. "It’s my work - 40 years ago. I gave up too soon. If only I’d heard your praise back then!"
Everyone struggles staying motivated to reach their
goals. Just look at how many people go
on diets, lose weight, and then gain it back again! Refocusing, changing, or making a fresh start
takes effort, but it’s never impossible with good planning, realistic
expectations, and a “never-say-never” attitude.
A little prayer doesn’t hurt either:
Lord,
give me faith in myself. Not only on the
days when I’m winning and nothing seems impossible, but on days when I wonder
if I‘m brave enough, smart enough, or strong enough. Don't let me quit, not ever. Let me keep faith in myself. Amen
