This is the story of what happened when Martin Luther King Jr. “hit the wall.”

If you’re a leader of any sort you’ve felt overwhelmed and wanted to quit at some point in your leadership journey. You’ve wanted to hide. You’ve wanted to get away from the constant demands of leadership.

You’re not alone. Every leader has “hit the wall.”

In the words of Rocky Balboa, “It’s not how hard you can hit that counts. It’s how many hard hits you can take and keep going.”

And now the story in MLK’s words…

“One night toward the end of January I settled into bed late, after a strenuous day. Coretta had already fallen asleep and just as I was about to doze off the telephone rang. An angry voice said, ‘Listen, nigger, we’ve taken all we want from you; before next week you’ll be sorry you ever came to Montgomery.’ I hung up, but I couldn’t sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. I had reached the saturation point.

I got out of bed and began to walk the floor. I had heard these things before, but for some reason that night it got to me. I turned over and tried to go to sleep, but I couldn’t sleep. I was frustrated, bewildered, and then I got up. Finally I went to the kitchen and heated a pot of coffee. I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting untouched before me I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward. I sat there and thought about a beautiful little daughter who had just been born. I’d come in night after night and see that little gentle smile. I started thinking about a dedicated and loyal wife, who was over there asleep. And she could be taken from me, or I could be taken from her. And I got the point that I couldn’t take it any longer. I was weak. Something said to me, ‘You can’t call on Daddy now, you can’t even call on Mama. You’ve got to call on that something in that person that your Daddy used to tell you about, that power that can make a way out of no way.’ With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory: ‘Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right. I think I’m right. I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak right now, I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage. Now, I’m afraid. And I can’t let the people see me like this because if they see me weak and losing my courage, they will begin to get weak. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.’

It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: ‘Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you. Even until the end of the world.’

I tell you I’ve seen the lightning flash. I’ve heard the thunder roar. I’ve felt sin breakers dashing trying to conquer my soul. But I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me alone. At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”

Three days later his house was bombed. An event that three days earlier would have derailed him now made Martin’s resolve all the stronger.

What made the difference? When he hit the wall, he bowed in prayer and discovered a new resolve; a resolve that would keep him through the coming days of chaos and ultimately lead him to the ultimate sacrifice. Because Martin Luther King Jr. moved through the wall, the dream has become a reality!

Leader, if you’re discouraged and ready to quit, DON’T!

Bow your head and cry out to the one who created you and called you to lead.

Draw strength for the journey from our Lord who encourages us to cast all of our cares upon Him because He cares for us!

My prayer for you is that as you hit the wall you will not fall down, but will bow down and move forward with fresh resolve to see your dream become a reality.