By Adeoye Falade
Sometimes it’s never too late for anything you really dream of achieving.
Charles Spurgeon was an English Baptist Preacher.
I have come to accept the fact that there is no shortage of things to draw inspiration from in life. People, places, books and personal experiences are just a few among these things.
But I now have a new category that is of inspirational worth also – animals.
I was preparing a set of short inspirational quotes sometime last year when I came across a quote by Charles Spurgeon that never left me since then. I didn’t have to memorise it; it just stuck. It’s short, witty (and I love witty), and a whole lot more that I can go on and on playing with adjectives that catch my fancy. Plus. there was a biblical base. The quote simply read: “By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.”
Does this sound familiar?
If it does, have you ever taken the time to really ponder beyond the witty wisdom of the author? I am going to share a few insights from the above quote in the hope that it will resonatewithn you somehow.
Our limitations shouldn’t put us off from our goal
Consider the fact that the snails had to achieve their goal of reaching the ark just like the other animals.
There’s just one problem, they were slow; so slow that even the tortoise would have had a laugh at their struggles. But they didn’t allow this limitation to derail them, they kept their eyes fixed on the ark and ended up on it just like the others.
That’s the way it is with us too.
We all have certain challenges on the way to achieving our goals but we shouldn’t let it deter us from what God has in store for us.
“By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.”
You are not alone in your struggles
There were two snails – they’re hermaphrodites by the way, but I’m not trying to play the numbers game or desperately looking for ways to make you see them as couples.
What is instructive here is the fact that we’re never alone in our struggles. We all have that one (or more) person we can look to for encouragement: a spouse, best friend, pastor, mentor, family, etc. These people all have limitations and challenges of their own but they’re with us for a reason. By sharing experiences, we serve as a source of encouragement to one another in our daily struggles towards our goals.
The ark waited
As slow as the snails were, the ark didn’t leave till they got in. Now I don’t know whether Noah went out to scoop them or whether they got to the ark themselves. I would like to believe the snails got there on their own (hey, that’s much more epic).
Sometimes it’s never too late for anything you really dream of achieving.
Some people have, because of a perceived limitation, lived a life of regret; wishing that they ‘could have’ or ‘should have’. In as much as the ark was still in sight, the snails knew they had a shot, and they took it. You also have that measure of grace God has made possible despite any limitations on the way to achieving your goals.
You always have a shot!
This is what I learnt when I decided to look a little closer at that quote. We all need to persevere and also be persistent in facing life challenges. While we must acknowledge our limitations, we shouldn’t allow them to rule our thoughts and prevent us from achieving greatness.
One last bit of trivia about snails: if their eyes happen to be cut off, they can always grow new ones. That’s how special they are.
Over to you!
