Jack is back and being persistent

Well, Jack is back. Bauer that is.

Back to save the world.

I think that maybe he should write an autobiography - after all, he has saved the world seven times from disaster on the television show, 24.

Reluctantly, he jumps back into the fray this season.

Here's what I know:

Jack cares about people. He is willing to risk his life and put it continually on the line so that others might live.

Jack is "Teflon coated" when it comes to running away from the bad guys (killing two men in the process) nearly getting blown up from a missile and beaten up when a cop mistakes him for a killer. And yet he goes on - none the worse for wear.

Still - it's a great show.

The one thing I like about Jack Bauer is that he is persistent. He keeps on going until the job is done. Nothing can hold him back.

He will do "whatever is necessary" to finish his assignment.

That's a great attitude that I would suggest we all need to have.

I seriously doubt if anyone reading this blog is going to go through what Jack has already gone through in the first four hours of this year's series.

Yet we are all called upon to be persistent at something.

What is God calling you to finish - no matter what the cost?

For some, it might be a marriage that in the natural is on its last legs. It seems to be on life support - but you know that God is calling you to stay committed.

For others, it might be a job that you "hate" and want to get out of as fast as possible. But there are one or two people there that have listened, I mean really listened when you have shared your faith with them - and if you leave, there will be no one there to connect them with Christ.

For others still, it might be a ministry at the church. It seems like you are spinning your wheels, that no one is growing in God or coming to Christ. Yet, there is seemingly no one else to take your place.

- you are just about ready to give up praying for someone you love to come to Christ. Keep on praying.

- you are just about ready to give up on one of your children (or one of your parents) - they've done too much and you're not wanting to keep the relationship - try one more time.

- you are just about ready to throw in the towel in your attempt to lose weight - go to the gym one more time.

Here's what I know: that God is just as interested in seeing you grow in Him as he is in changing your situation.

God cares about whether you finish the task or not. But more importantly, he cares about you - and being persistent and finishing the role, job, task, ministry that he has given you is part of his working in your life.

I encourage us all to - be persistent!

Not all of us will face situations like Jack Bauer. But there are lots of stories out there happening on a day to day basis that show us that there are people that continue to be persistent - and achieving their goals.

Here's one:

"When Sumner Spence expressed his desire to attend college, many people scoffed because he suffers from cerebral palsy. Sumner can't read books because his eyes won't focus. He can't hold onto things very well because his hands clench uncontrollably. Taking notes in a classroom would be out of the question. Anyone who knew Sumner would have thought it perfectly understandable if he had never set a goal beyond learning how to operate his wheelchair. But that wasn't good enough for Sumner. And it certainly wasn't good enough for his mother, Susan Spence.

Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, Sumner Spence enrolled at the University of Delaware. His mother attended all his classes, faithfully taking his notes for him. Each evening she would enter the lecture notes into a special computer program whose digital voice read the notes back to Sumner as he studied. Over the course of 2½ years, Susan Spence scanned more than 5,000 pages of textbook material and edited the scanned text for accuracy so Sumner could effectively study.

One particular class assignment called for Sumner's mother to go the extra mile. The students were asked to read Liam Callanan's first novel The Cloud Atlas. The famous author was going to be a special guest lecturer on the campus. Sumner's mom was not aware an electronic version of the novel existed, so she re-typed the entire book into their home computer.

When the class hosted an informal lunch to chat about Callanan's book, Sumner offered a number of insightful observations and questions. Later that evening, Callanan received a phone call from the professor of the class.

Sumner's mom had just spoken with the professor, tearfully telling her how before that meal Sumner had never eaten in public with anyone other than a family member. He was always afraid he would repulse people who didn't understand. Since he loved reading, though, he wanted to talk about books, and the lunch that day had given him the opportunity.

On the evening of May 24, 2007, Susan Spence took a seat in the back of the auditorium, and she watched as Sumner wheeled himself across the platform to receive his Associate of Arts degree. After addressing his fellow graduates at the commencement ceremony, more than 300 students and family members in attendance erupted in a standing ovation for this determined boy and his loyal mother."

Great stuff...don't give up...keep going....