I wanted to share with you all an illustration that I was going to use at the conclusion of my sermon this past Sunday.  I chose not to use it.  Looking back, I almost regret not using it.  But I didn't feel that God wanted me to end with this.  Here's the illustration... a true story.

"There was a time many years ago, before we had all of the wonderful volunteers we do now, when we occasionally felt like giving up.

We didn’t have a lot of help for setting up. Usually there were just two of us. In those days, before we came to the theater, all of our equipment was kept in a trailer. It was winter then so we had to pull these carts out of the trailer and push them through the snow and ice with these little wheels—it was just miserable. I so felt like giving up.

Just inside the building, I saw an inspirational poster you may have seen before.

It has a picture of a flower growing up through the snow. And beneath the picture, there’s a caption that reads, “Never Give Up. Go Over. Go Under. Go Around. Or Go Through. But Never Give Up.”

That poster had a big impact on me. God was speaking to me through it. I felt like that little flower that was trying to grow up through the snow. That poster lit a fire in me. Even though it isn’t a Christian poster, those words line right up with scripture."

Philippians 3:13-14 “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Yes, there are times when we need to reevaluate if what we're doing is really what God wants us to continue.  But if it's what God truly called you to do, then never give up!