Determination: The Woodpecker (with Added Commentary)

Jeremiah 50:6 - "... they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place."

Coming out of the plasma center yesterday, I saw a peculiar sight.

I snapped this low-quality picture seconds before it flew away.

A bird, bearing mannerisms akin to a woodpecker, was furious pecking at the concrete wall, creating that rat-a-tat-tat sound with which we are all familiar. I was amused by the sight. What are you doing, woody? I thought. That's a building, not a tree. You aren't accomplishing anything. Woody seemed to hear me, because he flew away shortly thereafter.

Something about that pecker inspired me, though. With a determination unparalleled, he had pursued his goal, furiously pecking away until he could peck no more. I didn't see his subsequent flight as a failure, but rather, a beginning.

Neither you nor myself are ever guaranteed success in anything we try. Indeed, perfection is required for heaven, and yet we will be judged on how hard we try. If I heard someone tried and failed to climb Mount Everest, I would worry less that they didn't make it to the top and be super excited that they were able to prepare themselves for that level at all. Failure is much more than completing an objective. Failure is never striving in the first place.

And so, inspired by my concrete-pecker friend, I auditioned for something yesterday. It was only a small-scale online radio play, but it was something I was hesitant to tackle. And so I did. And even if I don't get the part, I at least tried the climb.

What mountain are you scared to tackle?

I wrote a commentary about this post on August 20, 2015. Click here to read!