In March 2022, we saw the first pictures of the ship, Endurance. She sank in January 1915. Her 28-member crew, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, was making an expedition to Antarctica when the Endurance became stuck in sea ice. The crew lived for 9 months stranded on the sea ice, fighting to free the ship. Unsuccessful in their endeavors but fighting for their lives, they set out in lifeboats hoping to reach a small fishing village on another island. They weathered extreme storms on high seas and a trek over snow-covered mountains. In the end, all 28 men endured and survived. 

The Endurance sat hidden at the bottom of the icy Weddell Sea for over 100 years. On March 5, 2022, the expedition of Endurance22 was mapping the Weddell Sea floor and found her. Except for a few sea anemones, she looks very much the same, preserved by the cold salty sea. Both the ship and the crew are great examples of endurance.

As we learn about the character trait of endurance this month, it would serve us well to look at Sir Ernest Shackleford’s exploration story. Endurance is defined as “The inward strength to withstand stress and do my best.” During the crew’s failed journey to the south pole in the Antarctic and their harrowing story of survival, they faced much hardship and affliction. 

It would have been easy to give up. Shackleton had been warned by other Captains that the sea ice that year was the worst that they had seen. They had been told to wait, but they pushed on.

Once the Endurance became trapped in ice, there was little hope for rescue. Ships in that day had no radios, no weather reports, no snowmobiles, and no modern severe weather clothing. Sir Ernest Shackleton showed creative leadership as the crew survived afloat on the sea ice for 9 months.  

When Endurance sank, Shackleton made another brave and bold move to endure. He used the lifeboats for shelter and transportation. In intense waves and icy sea storms, they navigated in lifeboats across the Weddell Sea. The entire crew made it to Elephant Island.

Leaving most of the team, six men set out by lifeboat for South Georgia to find a whaling station. Arriving on the shore of South Georgia, three men navigated an ice-covered mountain range to find help. Finally arriving at a fishing village, Shackleford acquired a rescue ship. It took him 4 months to rescue all the stranded crew members. All of them were alive!

We are not stuck in the icy confines of the Antarctic trying to find our way to a remote fishing village, but at times we feel that our storms and challenges are impossible to face. We all face challenges. They look different. It could be financial difficulties, illness, the loss of a loved one, abuse, loneliness, frustration at work, etc. You can name your hardship or affliction.  

I grew up as a latch-key kid in the country. It meant hours of solitude and loneliness. What I learned during that time was endurance. How to find solutions to problems, develop skills to navigate the world safely, and learn to adjust to solitude. I learned how to ask for help when I couldn’t find an answer independently. I was blessed with teachers and neighbors who helped and watched out for me.  

As I look back at my life and at the crew of the Endurance, I see another character trait that helped them endure. Forgiveness. The crew could have been bitter at all they were enduring or that Shackleford did not wait when warned about the treacherous sea ice. Carrying bitterness is like wearing a backpack full of lead. It weighs you down and slows you down as you seek to fulfill your dream or accomplish your goal. Bitterness seems useful but ends up controlling you. 

If the crew had chosen bitterness instead of forgiveness, they might have spent the rest of the ages resting at the bottom of the Weddell Sea like the ship Endurance. Instead, they chose to forgive and focus on working together to endure. 

We can do the same when we let go of failure and bitterness and instead choose to forgive and move forward. We can focus our time and energy on following our dream and overcoming adversity. We can be thankful for our faith, family, friends, and many others things.  

Endurance is built and grown in adversity. I would not have chosen the adversity and hardships I have walked through. But I can see how they have developed my endurance. 

Pause for a moment and think back on your life. What are the hardships that you have endured? Now think about how that has changed you. Have you ever thought I can handle this because I survived (fill in the blank)? You may be surprised at how what you have endured has made you a stronger, better person today.

Source/Photo Credits

Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust. 2022. Endurance is Found. https://endurance22.org/endurance-is-found