MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- I was encouraged recently when I read an article by John Piper and he shared a particular insight on a portion of the 1719 classic novel, ‘Robinson Crusoe.’
Piper highlights that Crusoe is marooned on an island, all by himself. He wants to escape, but he needs a boat. The mainland is 45 miles away. He fears there might be cannibals over there and he is not sure he wants to go. He has got nothing else to do, so he decides he’s going to make a boat. He finds a tree. This tree is five feet, ten inches, across at the bottom. He has an axe. It takes him 22 days to chop this tree down, 14 more days to chop the branches off, and a year and a half to finish the boat with an axe. That my friends, is some impressive work.
But as Piper says, putting myself in Crusoe’s shoes, I’d probably chop on a tree like that for a day, maybe two days. I’d probably conclude rather quickly and say: “This tree is not coming down. I am done with this tree. I am going to go work on some little trees.”
The point and application for us is this: Many chops fell a big tree. Do you want see “a win” in a specific area of your life? Then keep chopping the big tree. What’s your big tree right now? What are you facing in your life that requires continued focused effort to achieve a good outcome? Robinson Crusoe chopped a tree for 22 days, plus another 14 to chop off branches and spent a year and a half making a boat!
Perhaps somebody today needs to hear this for a hard challenge going on in their life right now: Don't quit. Keep chopping. Fight life through. It will be worth it. For many chops fell a big tree.