When my daughter was just nine years old, she wrote an essay that would one day define the way I view perseverance, faith, and the legacy we build through our children.
She didn’t know it then, but that small story about falling off a skateboard was a glimpse of the same strength that would later carry her through something extraordinary.
Today, at only sixteen years old, she’s in her third year of college — part of less than one percent of students in America who ever reach that level so young.
But what amazes me most isn’t the number.
It’s the story behind it — a story about resilience, determination, and what can happen when we build our lives on faith-based motivation instead of fear.
The Fall That Started It All
When she was nine, my daughter wanted to learn to ride a skateboard.
She thought it would be easy — until she fell.
That first crash left her scraped up and humiliated. She came inside, close to tears.
I expected her to quit.
But she didn’t.
She took a deep breath, looked out the window at that skateboard, and said something I’ll never forget:
“I’m not giving up.”
At that moment, God wasn’t teaching her balance — He was teaching her faith.
Every fall was a lesson.
Every failure was a preparation.
Every attempt was shaping the kind of character that can carry a person through the impossible.
Perseverance Builds Legacy
Years later, she’s still proving that truth.
At sixteen, she sits in college classrooms, holding her own in an environment built for students years older.
But the foundation for that success wasn’t laid in a textbook. It was built in those small moments of persistence — the same ones that form the heart of leadership, parenting, and purpose.
That’s the power of perseverance.
That’s the kind of resilience that only grows through faith — not in the absence of fear, but in the presence of it.
Every time she fell, she got back up.
And every time she got back up, she built a little more strength — physically, mentally, and spiritually.
That’s the heart of true Christian inspiration:
Faith doesn’t stop you from falling — it teaches you how to rise differently.
Lessons for Every Parent and Leader
As parents, we want to protect our children from failure.
But God uses even their smallest struggles to teach them lessons that shape their destiny.
When we let them fall and stand again, we’re not teaching weakness — we’re teaching wisdom.
We’re showing them that persistence is stronger than perfection.
Faith doesn’t grow in easy seasons.
It grows in the tension between effort and uncertainty — when you choose to trust that what feels like falling is actually forward motion.
That’s true for our children.
That’s true for us.
Whether you’re leading a family, a business, or a ministry, the principle is the same:
Success is temporary, but perseverance is eternal.
The Faith to Keep Going
When my daughter wrote that essay, she quoted Thomas Edison:
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
It was more than a quote.
It was the seed of her future.
Now, when I look at her — and at her younger sister, who’s thirteen and just as brilliant — I see living proof of what happens when faith and focus intersect.
Every “one more try” creates a ripple.
Every moment of persistence builds a pattern.
And every act of courage becomes part of a legacy that echoes through generations.
So wherever you are — whether rebuilding your faith, restarting your dream, or reimagining your future — remember this:
You are one “try again” away from breakthrough.
Faith doesn’t end in the fall.
It begins the moment you stand back up.
Watch the Full Message
🎥 Watch my full message on YouTube here → Faith-Based Motivation: The Power of Trying One More Time
It’s an inspiring, emotional, and faith-filled reminder that the only limits we truly face are the ones we place on ourselves.
About the Author
Douglas Vandergraph is the founder of DV Ministries, a platform sharing motivational and faith-based content across YouTube, TikTok, Rumble, and podcast platforms. His mission is to help people rediscover purpose through perseverance, faith, and the power of daily growth.
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@douglasvandergraph
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