Florence Chadwick was the first woman to swim the English Channel … in both directions. Now she would swim from Catalina Island to the California Coast.

The year was 1952. The day was dense with fog. The cold water was numbing. Florence could hardly see. She could hear rifles—shooting at sharks nearby. After more than 15 hours, it all became too much. Her trainer urged her on, but with no land in sight, her will was gone. Florence quit swimming.

This is Howard Butt Jr. of Laity Lodge. That day, Florence Chadwick gave up one-half mile from her goal. When you’re ready to quit, keep on swimming … the fog will lift, and you’ll see how close you are … in the high calling of our daily work.

“Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.”— 1 Corinthians 9:24