Great-Grandmother Earns Black Belt

            It’s the year 2000.

            Georgia Long is sixty-two years of age. She is a great grandmother, and she is in poor health.

            A grandson begins taking lessons in Kuk Sool Won, which is a martial art originating in Korea. Georgia takes him and asks if the instructor would allow her to do some of the stretching exercises along with the class; she thinks the stretching will help her get into better shape. The instructor hands her a workout uniform and tells her she has become a part of the class.

            Six months later, Georgia’s grandson quits. Georgia continues. She decides that in time, she can earn a black belt.

            Georgia perseveres with all of her heart. Over the course of three years, Georgia loses fifty pounds and lowers her blood pressure. Those are the fringe benefits. She also meets her goal; she earns her black belt.

            Georgia does not stop there. In October of 2003, she competes for the world championship in the over-45 age bracket.

            I like Georgia’s story. As one newspaper of the time recorded, she was “determined to go the distance….”

            In the Bible, Caleb was an old man who was determined to go the distance with God, and he did--wholeheartedly.

            We, too, should decide to wholeheartedly go the distance with God.