Don’t Give Up Too Soon

From my perspective as a television specator, the Tokyo Olympics were a huge success.

One of the highlights of the games in my opinion was watching Tom Daley get Olympic Gold along with his diving partner Matty Lee in the men’s synchronized 10m platform diving.

I can’t deny that a significant part of this is because Tom is a Plymothian and being a born and raised Janner myself I feel a measure of pride in anyone from Plymouth succeeding on the global stage.

However the main reason why I found his achievement so profound is because of the journey he has been on to get to gold.

This was not his first Olympics. It wasn’t even his second or third Olympics but his fourth Olympic games. In all the preceding tournaments he had come close to gold but not close enough, winning a bronze medal in the 10m individual platform diving in 2012 and a bronze in 2016 in the 10m synchro.

If we try for something we really want and don’t get it on our first attempt, I’m sure most of us would dust ourselves down and try again. After two attempts don’t go our way there are many of us who may consider giving up on whatever it is we’re aiming for. After three failed attempts I’m sure
the vast majority of us would have a really hard time going again for a fourth time!

The fact Tom picked himself up on three separate occasions over 13 years to push on to a fourth Olympic games and finally win the gold medal he had been aiming for his whole life is truly inspiring. It’s not like Tom had it easy either. His father, who had been a significant support in his diving
career, died in 2011 just a few days after Tom’s 17 th birthday and just over a year away from the London 2012 games.

As I was considering Tom Daley’s story and the lesson it is in not giving up, I discovered a song on Cross Rhythms Plymouth by JJ Heller called ‘Don’t Give Up Too Soon’. It is a profound song with a beautiful message encouraging listeners to keep going and press on beyond the difficult seasons we all face in life.

It may be you are reading this article and finding day to day life a real challenge. Perhaps you have faced tragedy in recent days or you just can’t shake negative thoughts and feelings about yourself.

Tom Daley’s gold in Tokyo helps shows us all the value in not giving up too soon on our dreams and ambitions. The song by JJ Heller goes a little further to speak to people who are simply feeling like they want to give up on life itself. Her words encourage us to keep going and they remind us of our profound God given value, which no circumstance can take away.

Whether you are persevering to achieve great things like gold medals or just pressing on to keep going from one day to the next, may these words from the chorus of JJ’s song encourage you:

Please keep waiting for the morning
Don’t give up too soon
Jesus cares for every sparrow
I know he cares for you
Oh, please don’t give up too soon

There are so many encouraging songs like this one on Cross Rhythms Plymouth. If you have never tuned in before or if you feel you need something to lift your spirits tune in on 96.3FM in Plymouth or using the ‘Listen’ button at the top of the website.

JJ