Chapter 7 - Perseverance

The two little ants kept walking…and walking…and walking. They were starting to get really tired.

“Wow,” said Noah, “I’m really tired. Staying on the Narrow Path is much harder than I thought it would be!”

“I know,” Daniel replied. “Are we ever going to get there?”

Just then, a turtle walked up to them. 

“Hello, little ants,” said the turtle. “I see that you are on the Narrow Path. This is a very wise choice. I also see that you are tired. Jesus sent me to encourage you.”

“Yes, we are tired,” Noah said. “We’ve been walking on the Narrow Path for a long time, and we still haven’t gotten to the New Jerusalem yet.  Sometimes I wonder if we’re ever going to make it! And it seems to be getting colder and colder. Winter is coming.”

“I know, little ants, I know,” the turtle replied gently. “Sometimes waiting can become very hard, especially when we are waiting for something that we really, really want. But Jesus wants you to know that if you ask him, he will give you perseverance.”

“Perse-what?” Daniel and Noah said with confused faces. “That is a very big word. What does it mean?”

“It means that you never, ever give up, even when the New Jerusalem seems like it is still far away. It means that you hold on to Jesus not just during the good times, but even during the hard times. When you still hold on to Jesus and love him even during the hard times, this shows Jesus your love for him is real. The hard time of winter is getting ready to come to the forest. It is easy to love Jesus during the easy times. But little ants, will you still love him even during the hard time that is coming?”

Daniel felt a prayer come into his heart. Then he prayed in a loud voice, “Jesus, I want to love you not just in good times, but even in the hard times! But I cannot do this on my own. I need your help!”

When Daniel prayed this, the turtle smiled and breathed on Daniel and Noah. When he breathed on them, they felt strength come into them. They weren’t tired anymore. They were now ready to persevere and not give up. They were ready to keep walking on the Narrow Path.

“Well done, little ants,” the turtle said. “This breath is from Jesus. If you call to him, he will give you perseverance. Take these two perseverance stickers. They will remind you to never give up on Jesus, even during the hard time that is coming.”

Daniel and Noah took the stickers and added them to the others on their papers. They were very happy that Jesus had sent the turtle to them to encourage them. They were now determined to stay on the Narrow Path no matter how hard it might get during the hard time of winter.