By HAROLD KELLER

Every Monday morning, I get together with a few friends of mine for coffee and we talk about everything under the sun. This past Monday, one of my friends told me about a sermon he heard in church.

The preacher was describing the activity of, evidently, a newcomer to golf. It seems that this certain golfer had a ball land right next to a very big ant pile. With his first swing, he must have killed 1,000 ants as he missed the ball. His second try was another miss, but there were 1,000 more dead ants. After another swing missed, only two ants survived the attack. One ant asked the other what he intended to do? “Get on the ball,” he said. “It looks like that’s the safest place left.”

The preacher continued the sermon and said that it’s time for many Christians to get on the ball.

Too many of us are just hanging around like the ants in the ant pile. If we don’t watch out, we’ll be swept away by the comforts and temptations of this life.

Another friend said, “Keller, you should have been with me last week. I was walking near the Morning Call in Metairie and saw this elderly lady struggling with a walker, assisted by another lady who was not quite the age of the lady using the walker. I offered to help them and they gladly accepted my help.”

“Where do you want to go?” my friend asked. “We are trying to get into the Morning Call,” the younger one said. “That’s my mother. She is 101 years old and is determined to get some coffee and beignets.”

My friend laughed as he said that nothing was going to get into that lady’s way and stop her from getting into the coffee shop.

I thought that this story would make a good article. It’s not about the beignets, or the coffee, but more importantly, is about what many people lack, especially young people – persistence, determination, and a desire to reach certain goals. It reminds me of a saying I’ve heard many times: “Quitters never win, and winners never quit.”

Those two stories spoke loud and clear to me to get on the ball and be more persistent in my Christian walk.

HAROLD KELLER writes this column as part of his affiliation with the Get High on Life religious motivational group. Call him at (985) 652-8477 or write to P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084.