Lessons Learned on Endurance

"Stay positive guys, we'll get it next time."

This was me trying to be enthusiastic and encouraging. We had been setting our trail camera consistently for months on end in ideal locations in the jungle, expectantly waiting to get a picture of the legendary and elusive Tasmanian Tiger that’s often said to be extinct.

We had experienced the anxious excitement and anticipation of retrieving the trail camera, taking out the microchip, inserting it into our computer, then slowly scrolling through pictures taken over weeks and months of recorded jungle activity—only to get to the end and realize that we’d struck out. After going through this five or six times, it was hard not to be discouraged.

Maybe some of you have experienced this sort of disappointment? It's hard to stay positive when things don't go according to plan and all your hard work feels pointless.

Here is a journal entry I dug up, describing one hike we took to retrieve our trail camera:

Today Hudson, Pu, and I went back down to the salt licks . . . I'm a bit sore and scratched as usual, but my only disappointment was our poor results. Trail cam didn't pick up the Mbakngge . . . There were no tracks found like the previous three times. But we armed the trail cam once more; this time it's down there for the long hall . . . Trail cam will be faithfully taking pictures for a few months . . . I guarantee (Lord willing) we will get the picture we are after . . .

It is important to keep working toward your goals with positivity. We come to understand that endurance is sticking it out and not giving up. At the same time though, it is encouraging to know that whatever you are doing, you can trust that God is in total control and His will goes, no matter what.

So, did we ever catch the Tasmanian Tiger? I don’t want to give away the surprise. You can join my brothers and me on the chase in our latest adventure DVD Tiger Trail to find out.