Almost 50-years ago, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel enchanted us all with the songs of a poor boy who went to New York on a dream and fell victim to the harsh life of the city. Penniless, with only strangers as friends, he spent his days "laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters where the ragged people go, looking for the places only they would know." ("The Boxer" by Paul Simon, ©1968 )

Friend, it's easy to picture this young lad, dirty face and worn clothes, looking for work and finding none. He trudges the footpaths and battles the cold, and dreams of going somewhere "where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me, leading me home."

He entertains thoughts of quitting. Going home. Giving up-something he never thought he would do.

But just when he picks up the towel to throw it into the ring he encounters a boxer. Remember these words? "In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade, and he carries a reminder of
every blow that laid him down or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame-
-'I am leaving, I am leaving!' but the fighter still remains."

"The fighter still remains." There is something magnetic in that phrase. It rings with a truth. In reality, those who can remain like a boxer are a rare breed. I don't necessarily mean win, I just mean remain. Hang in there. Finish. Stick to it until it is done. But unfortunately, very few of us do that. Our human tendency is to stop before we cross the finish line. And our inability to finish what we start is seen in the smallest of things. Such as a partly mowed lawn, a half-read book, letters begun but never completed, an abandoned diet, a car or tractor up on blocks. Or, it shows up in life's most painful areas. Such as: an abandoned child, a cold faith, a job hopper, a wrecked marriage, or an un-evangelized world.

Am I touching some painful sores? Any chance I'm addressing someone who is considering giving up? If I am, I want to encourage you to remain. I want to encourage you to remember Jesus' determination on the cross and stop and listen as he pushes his feet down on that Roman nail, and cries, "It is finished!" -- Was this a cry of defeat? Hardly! Had his hands not been fastened down I dare say that a triumphant fist would have punched the dark sky. No, this is no cry of despair. It is a cry of completion. A cry of victory, a cry of fulfillment! Yes, even a cry of relief. The fighter remained. Thank God that he did! Thank God that he endured!

Friend, are you close to quitting? Please don't do it. Are you discouraged as a parent? Hang in there. Are you pessimistic about your job? Roll up your sleeves and give it your best shot. No communication in your marriage? Give it another chance. Can't resist temptation? Accept God's forgiveness and go one more round. Is your day framed with sorrow and disappointment? Are your tomorrows turning into a sense of hopelessness? Is hope a forgotten word?

Remember friend, a finisher is not one with no wounds or weariness. Quite to the contrary, he, like the boxer, is scarred and bloody. Mother Teresa is credited with saying, "God didn't call us to be successful, just faithful." The fighter, like our Master, is pierced and full of pain. He, like Paul, may even be bound and beaten. But he remains. The Land of Promise, says Jesus, awaits those who endure (Matthew 10:22). It is not just for those who make the victory laps or drink champagne. No! The Land of Promise is for those who simply remain to the end.

My encouragement for you today, my friend, is to endure and finish the race of life no matter what obstacles are in your way. I encourage you to face the future with courage and optimism-because TOMORROW CAN BE BETTER. And if you doubt what I'm saying, I invite you to write to us for a FREE booklet titled "TOMORROW CAN BE BETTER." This amazing booklet describes how your life can be changed. It can be different. The future doesn't have to be like the past. Tomorrow can be better. For your copy of this life-changing booklet, just write to: Discovering A BETTER LIFE, P.O. Box 1540, Albany, WA 6331 or Email: abl-alb@omninet.net.au