Tenacious and Gracious

I’ve often been referred to as tenacious. I take that as a high compliment. 

To me, tenacity reflects a deep fortitude to turn an unacceptable, seemingly impossible situation around to a positive outcome. Long after others have given up or lost interest, the tenacious person finds a way. 

In my early years, this trait wasn’t refined. I was extremely driven, determined to fight the good fight (at least in my own eyes) no matter the cost. I even had a fortune cookie saying taped to my desk that read: “The one who says it can’t be done should get out of the way of the one already doing it.”  

Trust me, It’s never a good idea to base your life mantra on a fortune cookie.  

Unrefined tenacity is like a bull in a china shop. Something dramatic gets done. Change happens. But often at the cost of broken relationships and a loss of calm. 

Over the years, God has fathered me extensively in this area. No longer do I see every challenge as a battle to fight or win. On my better days, I focus more on hearts than outcomes. It’s a healed version of tenacity—one that’s tempered with grace.

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