In 1927, when Charles Lindbergh was only 25 years old, he had a dream and, along with it, a great determination to be the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Many had tried – many had died. But just how would he do the seemingly impossible?
First, he picked a small single engine plane which he named the “Spirit of St. Louis”. On that small plane he installed a huge fuel tank which was so big that it literally covered his front windshield so that as he flew, the only way he could see in front of him was with a periscope.
Second, to save weight on the plane, all that he took with him was a few maps, the navigation logs for the plane, five sandwiches, and a gallon of water. So determined was he to devote every possible ounce of payload to fuel he didn’t even take a parachute.
On the night before his flight Charles could not sleep, so when he set out on that morning, May 20, 1927, he had not slept even one wink the night before. He had had no sleep for already 24 hours and now he had to fly all that day, all that night, and most all the next day without sleeping – he couldn’t take a nap, there was no one else to fly the plane but him – he could barely stay awake. He almost crashed into the icy waters of the Atlantic more than once because he was literally exhausted – but he didn’t give up, he didn’t quit, he didn’t fall asleep, somehow he stayed awake – he was determined to succeed.
Finally, after 33 hours, 29 minutes, and 30 seconds in the air, Lindbergh made it, and became the first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean – over 3,700 miles – absolutely amazing.
But just what made Charles Lindbergh successful? Two things
a willingness to try, and
sheer determination.
But, do things always work out the first time? Of course not. In fact, most great achievements grow out of hardship and failure. You might say it’s that very hardship and failure that provides the strength to persist until one succeeds. A wise man once said, “Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees”. Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity”. Helen Keller, who was deaf, speechless and blind since her childhood said, “The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to pass through”.
And what about some of America’s great success stories? Were they all successful right off? Well,
- Henry Ford went broke five times before he became a successful automobile manufacturer.
- As a student actor James Earl Jones stuttered so badly he had to communicate with his friends and teachers -using written notes.
- Before Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he had over 10,000 failed experiments.
So, just what can we gain from adversity? I must admit in my life I’ve had my own share of ups and downs. But as I look back I realize that those times when things were the toughest, those were the times that I grew the most. It was the valley times, the down times, when I learned most about myself and just what I was made of. But, even more importantly, those were the times I reached out the most to Almighty God, to strengthen and deliver me – and He has never let me down.
So, you see, it’s the hard times that give us the strength to persist – it’s the failures that give us the determination to succeed.
So, for this New Year, for the rest of your life, Don’t be a quitter!
Don’t stop trying!
Don’t give up!