When You Feel Like Giving Up, Don’t Quit
- kommahmcdowell
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
The Power of Hanging On
“Don’t Quit.”
Two simple words that have echoed in my heart since college. I first came across the poem by that name in a moment of exhaustion and overwhelm, and something about its rhythm, hope, and honesty stuck. It became more than just a favorite quote; it became a mantra. A lifeline.
Perseverance isn’t just a nice word for motivational posters. It’s gritty. It’s messy. It’s saying “I’ll keep going” when your knees are buckling and your heart’s breaking. And over the years, through cancer, family challenges, and unexpected detours, I’ve seen how perseverance, with God’s help, can lead us through the darkest valleys and out into light.
The Poem That Carried Me
I was in college when Don’t Quit first landed in my hands. You know the one:
“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill…”
It’s like the author read my to-do list and my feelings. That poem gave me permission to struggle and keep going. It’s lived in my mind, on my tongue, and now? In my bones.
Over the years, these words whispered to me when I was too tired to shout. They reminded me that failure isn’t final, and setbacks don’t have the last word.
Perseverance Through Life’s Plot Twists
In my book, Silver Lining: Cancer Was the Best Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Me, I open up about my breast cancer journey. It stripped away more than just physical health, it challenged my identity, strength, and expectations for what life was “supposed” to look like.
But what emerged was something stronger than fear: faith-fueled perseverance.
With Charles, my husband, by my side, we learned how to face impossible things together, like facing a 5 percent survival rate, or figuring out how to smile through uncertainty.
Let me tell you, perseverance doesn’t always look pretty. Sometimes it looks like:
Crying in the shower while still making dinner afterward
Saying "I’m fine" when you're anything but, and meaning it by faith
Laughing in the middle of chaos because honestly, it’s either that or cry
Through all of it, we stood. Not perfectly. But faithfully.
Teaching Perseverance to the Next Generation
One of our biggest parenting goals is to help our son learn that quitting isn't the answer, but knowing when to pause, pray, and push through with wisdom is. We tell him:
It's okay to rest. Just don't stay down.
If something's worth it, it probably won't be easy.
Prayer and perseverance go hand in hand.
You don’t need all the answers, just the next step.
We use real-life examples, like when a door slammed shut on one of our dreams, and another door (that we didn’t even know existed!) opened wider than we imagined. And when he asks how we made it, we say the same thing every time:
By the grace of God. And we refused to quit.
If you’re facing something right now that feels too hard, here’s what I’ve learned that might help:
Take it one breath, one prayer, one step at a time. You don’t have to climb the mountain in one day.
Invite God into the process. His strength shows up best in our weakness.
Laugh a little, if not a lot. Sometimes humor is holy and healing.
Surround yourself with encouragers. Borrow someone else’s belief in you when yours is low.
Remind yourself: This moment isn’t the whole story. It’s just a page in the chapter… or as they say in the south… “just wait 15 minutes and the weather will clear up.”
Still Standing, Still Strong
The truth is, we’ve lived through trials and tribulations that could have broken us. But by God’s grace, we didn’t quit. We’ve been in hospital beds and at gravesides. We’ve weathered financial storms and family heartbreak. But we’re still here, united and stronger than before.
Not because we had all the answers.
Not because we had unshakable confidence.
But because we held on when everything in us said let go.
Perseverance isn’t about never falling. It’s about rising, over and over again.
And friend, if you’re still standing? You’re doing better than you think.
Want More? Let’s Connect
If this message resonated with you or you’d like to learn more about my services, speaking, or how I help others grow through life’s challenges, I’d love to hear from you. Please visit my website:www.kommahmcdowell.com
And if you're interested in diving deeper into my journey and how perseverance has shaped my life, check out my books:
Stay strong. Keep going. And above all… don’t quit.
Kommah McDowell, MSLM
Comments