YOU WILL SURVIVE | GNOMIC Motivation
October 4, 2021
On May 26, 2003, Aron Ralston was rock climbing in Blue John Canyon in southern Utah. He was going up a 3-foot wide slot canyon. As he was climbing, a 200-pound boulder fell in the slot and pinned his arm against the rock. He tried everything he knew to get his arm from under the rock, but nothing worked. After running out of water and being pinned for five long days and nights, he realized that if he was going to survive, he would have to take drastic action. Using a small pocketknife, he amputated his arm below the elbow and applied a tourniquet. After he was free, he rigged anchors, fixed a rope and rappelled to the canyon floor. He hiked downstream until he was spotted by an Utah Public Safety Helicopter and rescued. He was in a hard place and he had to do a hard thing.
Later, when asked about the experience, his words were these: “It could have been worse”.
Sometimes, life puts us between a rock and a hard place. Whenever we encounter difficulties, we often have one of two choices— we could either decide to complain all we want and do nothing which will do very little to improve our situation, or like Ralston we could make the often unpleasant choice of doing what is necessary. If we do the latter, we soon learn that “it could have been worse”. Giving up should never be an option. When life puts you in a hard place, do the hard thing.
You will survive!
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
— James 1:2-4, ESV
