FROM THE editors February 2, 2004 Issue

Discouragement—the real enemy

Editor

A couple of recent news stories remind us of how incredibly courageous and determined some people are to avoid responding with hopeless discouragement in the face of overwhelming circumstances. The 97-year-old Iranian woman pulled from the rubble of the December 26, 2003, Bam earthquake made headlines around the world for her humble explanation of how she survived being buried six days and nights: "God saved me," she said.

And even more recently, a 25-year-old skier from Washington state, Dan Witkowski, was found alive after surviving four days and four nights of below-freezing temperatures with no gear other than the clothes he was wearing. By the fourth day, even his father had begun to lose hope. But as ski patrol director Jon Barker told CBS Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen, "Nobody ever gave up. We would just continue [searching, and] start again the next morning."

How inspiring those words are: "Nobody ever gave up." If they had, Witkowski might not have been found. And if he had given up (he kept moving, resting only for two hours at the longest), he might not have made it through those grueling days and nights. The 97-year-old Iranian survivor didn't give up. But she apparently knew that the courage and determination that kept her going came from a profoundly deep, unlimited source of courage—from God.

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