Related articles - Keeping our eyes on the prizes will work wonders
Victor Villasenor is a Hispanic writer whose life illustrates perseverance. He set his sights securely on the finish line and didn’t let anything distract him from his goal.
Raised in Southern California, Victor was handicapped by dyslexia all the way into adulthood. His disability mentally crippled him so severely through school that he finally dropped out, still illiterate. Thankfully an elderly Mexican friend spent time with Victor and taught him to read. Throughout his challenging early years into his early thirties, his burning desire to become a writer kept pressing him forward.
With his dream in mind, Victor used his young adult years--while working as a ditch digger and house cleaner--to think about characters and plots for the books he would one day write. In his spare time, he would, with great difficulty plough through books. He read 5,000 of them, memorizing favourite opening paragraphs, analyzing sentence structure, and taking them apart to see how they worked. Victor prayed for God’s help and then started writing. He wrote nine novels, sixty-five short stories and ten plays. He then sent them off to publishers. All were rejected. One thoughtless publisher sent him a rejection letter which simply read, “You’re kidding!”
Amazing as it seems, Victor was encouraged by the short critique. He figured, “At least he read it.” It was after two hundred and sixty rejections that Victor finally sold his first novel—Macho. He then published a non-fiction work, an award winning screen play and his crowning achievement—a two part saga of his family called Rain of Gold. It took him twelve years to write.
Victor set his sights on where he wanted to go, determined his life mission to be a successful writer and went for the gold! That’s step number two in our climb toward purpose and fulfillment. After you determine where you want to end up, write out a mission statement.
Jesus did that. After spending his first thirty years working alongside his dad (Joseph) learning his trade as a carpenter, it was time to turn toward the finish line which his Father (God) had determined for him. He clearly articulated his five part mission statement and set his face toward that destiny. For him that destiny was the cross and his ultimate resurrection. As difficult as Jesus’ assignment was, nothing could deter him from the path. During some of his most severe opposition when some were plotting his death, some Greek thinkers offered to whisk him away to their country. He would be paid well and honoured highly for his teaching—but Jesus refused. He knew what success was for him and kept his focus securely on his mission.
I love the conversation between two announcers during a Monday night football game several years back. One of them remarked about Walter Payton, running back for the Chicago Bears, that he had accumulated in his career over nine miles of rushing yardage! “Yeah,” the other announcer jumped in, “and that’s with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!”
Victor Villasenor, Jesus Christ and Walter Payton understood the same thing—the value of setting our eyes on the finish line and persevering until we arrive!
