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Perseverance
Dwight Davis was born in Cedartown, Georgia. His father was a pastor and his mother took care of the home and family. They lived in the country, near both sets of grandparents. Dwight was influenced by his father and two grandfathers to guide him as he grew to be a man, husband, and father. Dwight learned to love the outdoors from his father.
Dwight learned to garden as a small child from his grandfather. He started working at a business cleaning service when he was 12 and then, during his junior and senior years in high school, worked 40 hours a week for two years as a machinist. After high school, Dwight went to Shorter College, now Shorter University, where he met his wife on the first day. In college, Dwight worked several days a week at a men’s clothing store, where he learned the importance of a professional appearance and how to dress for church.
Dwight graduated from Shorter College with a Natural Sciences degree in Biology and Chemistry. Dwight says if you follow the science, it will lead you to God. Dwight applied to several medical schools but changed his mind when he saw the many hours away from his family that being a doctor would take. Dwight married in 1985.
In Dwight’s junior and senior year summers of college, he had worked for Georgia Power at Plant Bowen. That led to a career at Georgia Power.Dwight and his wife had twin girls. Dwight tells how he and his wife managed their work schedules to be with the twins. Dwight still found time to be in the woods, with his wife’s support. On a week-long hike with friends in college, Dwight had crossed the Appalachian Trail or A.T. From that day, he had a dream to hike the A.T. from Georgia to Maine. Dwight receives physical, mental, and spiritual benefits from hiking.For 32 years, Dwight worked for Georgia Power, keeping in mind Colossians 3:23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” KJV. When he prepared to retire and hike the A.T., he prayed to do it for God’s glory, and it all came together.
About 20 to 30 percent of those who start the through-hike on the A.T. complete it. It takes around eight months with a willingness to persevere. Dwight documented his walk on YouTube under the name Sleeves. Dwight started his through-hike right before he turned 55. He started in February 2018, at the terminus in North Georgia. Dwight had a great send-off crew to see him start. He didn’t see any mountain views as it was pouring rain the entire time. The trail was a river. Sixty miles into the hike, Dwight was discouraged by his slow progress but he received an answer to prayer that he was exactly where he needed to be. Most days, Dwight hiked 15 to 20 miles with a full pack of about 35 pounds of provisions. Dwight wanted to finish before winter weather. Dwight didn’t hike on Sundays but made sure to be at a place where he could rest and worship the Lord.Dwight shares experiences of 14 states, starting in Georgia with Springer Mountain in cold, miserable rain, and then walking through snow almost up to his waist in the Great Smoky Mountains, and temperatures below zero Fahrenheit. Dwight feared that he could die. Dwight describes the cold mountain “balds” in North Carolina and the lack of cell phone service in Virginia. He was isolated. The excitement of getting started on the hike had turned into the routine of a job.Dwight’s wife sent pre-packed boxes of supplies to shelters along the way as he planned to reach them. He felt accountability toward his wife and the support team. It started raining in Virginia and continued through West Virginia. The bridge over the Potomac River was closed from high water. Dwight was wet and miserable. He was facing tremendous mental adversity.
In Maryland, Dwight slipped on a wet boulder and landed on his knee. The more he walked, the more it hurt. He took two ibuprofen every four hours and walked for twelve hours every day. He walked 150 miles after he fell and made it to Pennsylvania. He stopped to rest in a hotel for a few days, but the pain got worse. He hobbled to an urgent care clinic across the street. The doctor told him his hike was over and his left leg was broken. Dwight was devastated. He rented a car and drove home to see an orthopedic surgeon. After six weeks of elevating his leg, with the doctor’s caution to listen to his body, he got a ride from his parents back to Pennsylvania and started walking. He walked 40 miles and could not go on from the pain. He called his parents; they were still in Pennsylvania, waiting to make sure he was doing well, so they picked him up. Dwight knows this setback didn’t surprise God. God was protecting him and preparing him for something.The more Dwight thought about God’s protection, the more peace he felt. Instead of completing the through-hike, he would finish the hike the next year from where he left, near Palmer, Pennsylvania. He stopped thinking about what he could do and started thinking about what God could do through him. Dwight kept off his leg and then started training again. The hardest thing was to be inactive. He continued posting his YouTube videos. His connection to the trail was that he kept his hair uncut. If he cut it, it would be saying, “It’s over.”
After healing, Dwight conditioned for weeks by hiking 20 miles or more with a pack daily. His wife and daughter drove him back to Pennsylvania and he hiked again.Dwight shares highlights from the states on the A.T. New Jersey is beautiful. New York had horrible source water Dwight found but local people would set gallons of water at the side of the trail for hikers. He could see New York City from the trail. Connecticut was amazing, walking for miles next to the Housatonic River. In Massachusetts, Mount Graylock began the last chapter of the journey. Dwight felt better and moved faster than he had in 2018. On Mount Everett, Dwight was distracted picking blueberries and almost stepped on a huge rattlesnake! Massachusetts was also loaded with mosquitoes that choked him as he breathed. In Vermont, snowmelt made the trail muddy. Vermont trails also went straight up mountains instead of having switchbacks and the trail was eroded to the rocks. New Hampshire has epic mountains he climbed on his hands and knees. Dwight went slowly to experience the beauty of God’s creation. There were huts above the treeline where hikers could work for lodging. Maine is rugged and beautiful. It has the toughest mile of the trail, the Mahoosuc Notch, a valley filled with massive boulders that can take four hours to get through. The day before Dwight arrived, a hiker with a broken had to be evacuated. There were windy, rocky mountain balds to climb. Dwight made it to Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park and it hit him that he had made it almost to the terminus. He got a permit when he arrived and started up Mount Katahdin the next morning to the terminus.Dwight had a heart of thanksgiving, being able to fulfill his hiking dream the way God wanted. Some people hike the trail searching for answers. If you don’t have a higher purpose in life, you can end in a bad place. The trail isn’t the answer. God is the answer. Dwight lives by the motto “Keep hiking,” which means keep at it and don’t give up. Keep living, keep dreaming.
Jim states that perseverance is part of God’s plan to develop character. God has a purpose for you. We are not our own, but we are His, bought with a price. Jim affirms Dwight humbly accepting God’s way to accomplish his goal and not destroying himself or his marriage by pushing on through his injury. Jim honors Dwight’s wife for supporting and helping him accomplish this task.When Dwight felt low and wanted to quit, God showed up. Dwight has many stories about God’s blessings that helped him persevere. He learned five life lessons from his trip: God’s faithfulness is sufficient. God’s appointments are intentional. God’s thoughts are higher than my thoughts and His ways are higher than my ways. God’s will is for me to walk with Him because He’s always walking with me. God’s plan is for me to lift Him up, not myself. Dwight concludes that no matter how hard life is, you can persevere by walking with God. Jim affirms these life lessons and honors, Dwight, for how he prepares for everything he does.
Call to Action: Jim invites listeners to get out of their chairs in October 2020 and walk 100 miles in 50 hours around Sam Smith Park in Cartersville, Georgia. Train for it and walk with Jim and Sleeves. Develop habits that will carry over. Find our podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, rate it, subscribe, share it, and help us get this word out! Send Jim an email with your suggestions on guests.See our Website: MenBuildMen.comEmail: [email protected]
Marks of a Man on Facebook
Jim Nicklas on InstagramSleeves — Dwight Davis on YouTube
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Dwight Davis was born in Cedartown, Georgia. His father was a pastor and his mother took care of the home and family. They lived in the country, near both sets of grandparents. Dwight was influenced by his father and two grandfathers to guide him as he grew to be a man, husband, and father. Dwight learned to love the outdoors from his father.
Dwight learned to garden as a small child from his grandfather. He started working at a business cleaning service when he was 12 and then, during his junior and senior years in high school, worked 40 hours a week for two years as a machinist. After high school, Dwight went to Shorter College, now Shorter University, where he met his wife on the first day. In college, Dwight worked several days a week at a men’s clothing store, where he learned the importance of a professional appearance and how to dress for church.
Dwight graduated from Shorter College with a Natural Sciences degree in Biology and Chemistry. Dwight says if you follow the science, it will lead you to God. Dwight applied to several medical schools but changed his mind when he saw the many hours away from his family that being a doctor would take. Dwight married in 1985.
In Dwight’s junior and senior year summers of college, he had worked for Georgia Power at Plant Bowen. That led to a career at Georgia Power.Dwight and his wife had twin girls. Dwight tells how he and his wife managed their work schedules to be with the twins. Dwight still found time to be in the woods, with his wife’s support. On a week-long hike with friends in college, Dwight had crossed the Appalachian Trail or A.T. From that day, he had a dream to hike the A.T. from Georgia to Maine. Dwight receives physical, mental, and spiritual benefits from hiking.For 32 years, Dwight worked for Georgia Power, keeping in mind Colossians 3:23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” KJV. When he prepared to retire and hike the A.T., he prayed to do it for God’s glory, and it all came together.
About 20 to 30 percent of those who start the through-hike on the A.T. complete it. It takes around eight months with a willingness to persevere. Dwight documented his walk on YouTube under the name Sleeves. Dwight started his through-hike right before he turned 55. He started in February 2018, at the terminus in North Georgia. Dwight had a great send-off crew to see him start. He didn’t see any mountain views as it was pouring rain the entire time. The trail was a river. Sixty miles into the hike, Dwight was discouraged by his slow progress but he received an answer to prayer that he was exactly where he needed to be. Most days, Dwight hiked 15 to 20 miles with a full pack of about 35 pounds of provisions. Dwight wanted to finish before winter weather. Dwight didn’t hike on Sundays but made sure to be at a place where he could rest and worship the Lord.Dwight shares experiences of 14 states, starting in Georgia with Springer Mountain in cold, miserable rain, and then walking through snow almost up to his waist in the Great Smoky Mountains, and temperatures below zero Fahrenheit. Dwight feared that he could die. Dwight describes the cold mountain “balds” in North Carolina and the lack of cell phone service in Virginia. He was isolated. The excitement of getting started on the hike had turned into the routine of a job.Dwight’s wife sent pre-packed boxes of supplies to shelters along the way as he planned to reach them. He felt accountability toward his wife and the support team. It started raining in Virginia and continued through West Virginia. The bridge over the Potomac River was closed from high water. Dwight was wet and miserable. He was facing tremendous mental adversity.
In Maryland, Dwight slipped on a wet boulder and landed on his knee. The more he walked, the more it hurt. He took two ibuprofen every four hours and walked for twelve hours every day. He walked 150 miles after he fell and made it to Pennsylvania. He stopped to rest in a hotel for a few days, but the pain got worse. He hobbled to an urgent care clinic across the street. The doctor told him his hike was over and his left leg was broken. Dwight was devastated. He rented a car and drove home to see an orthopedic surgeon. After six weeks of elevating his leg, with the doctor’s caution to listen to his body, he got a ride from his parents back to Pennsylvania and started walking. He walked 40 miles and could not go on from the pain. He called his parents; they were still in Pennsylvania, waiting to make sure he was doing well, so they picked him up. Dwight knows this setback didn’t surprise God. God was protecting him and preparing him for something.The more Dwight thought about God’s protection, the more peace he felt. Instead of completing the through-hike, he would finish the hike the next year from where he left, near Palmer, Pennsylvania. He stopped thinking about what he could do and started thinking about what God could do through him. Dwight kept off his leg and then started training again. The hardest thing was to be inactive. He continued posting his YouTube videos. His connection to the trail was that he kept his hair uncut. If he cut it, it would be saying, “It’s over.”
After healing, Dwight conditioned for weeks by hiking 20 miles or more with a pack daily. His wife and daughter drove him back to Pennsylvania and he hiked again.Dwight shares highlights from the states on the A.T. New Jersey is beautiful. New York had horrible source water Dwight found but local people would set gallons of water at the side of the trail for hikers. He could see New York City from the trail. Connecticut was amazing, walking for miles next to the Housatonic River. In Massachusetts, Mount Graylock began the last chapter of the journey. Dwight felt better and moved faster than he had in 2018. On Mount Everett, Dwight was distracted picking blueberries and almost stepped on a huge rattlesnake! Massachusetts was also loaded with mosquitoes that choked him as he breathed. In Vermont, snowmelt made the trail muddy. Vermont trails also went straight up mountains instead of having switchbacks and the trail was eroded to the rocks. New Hampshire has epic mountains he climbed on his hands and knees. Dwight went slowly to experience the beauty of God’s creation. There were huts above the treeline where hikers could work for lodging. Maine is rugged and beautiful. It has the toughest mile of the trail, the Mahoosuc Notch, a valley filled with massive boulders that can take four hours to get through. The day before Dwight arrived, a hiker with a broken had to be evacuated. There were windy, rocky mountain balds to climb. Dwight made it to Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park and it hit him that he had made it almost to the terminus. He got a permit when he arrived and started up Mount Katahdin the next morning to the terminus.Dwight had a heart of thanksgiving, being able to fulfill his hiking dream the way God wanted. Some people hike the trail searching for answers. If you don’t have a higher purpose in life, you can end in a bad place. The trail isn’t the answer. God is the answer. Dwight lives by the motto “Keep hiking,” which means keep at it and don’t give up. Keep living, keep dreaming.
Jim states that perseverance is part of God’s plan to develop character. God has a purpose for you. We are not our own, but we are His, bought with a price. Jim affirms Dwight humbly accepting God’s way to accomplish his goal and not destroying himself or his marriage by pushing on through his injury. Jim honors Dwight’s wife for supporting and helping him accomplish this task.When Dwight felt low and wanted to quit, God showed up. Dwight has many stories about God’s blessings that helped him persevere. He learned five life lessons from his trip: God’s faithfulness is sufficient. God’s appointments are intentional. God’s thoughts are higher than my thoughts and His ways are higher than my ways. God’s will is for me to walk with Him because He’s always walking with me. God’s plan is for me to lift Him up, not myself. Dwight concludes that no matter how hard life is, you can persevere by walking with God. Jim affirms these life lessons and honors, Dwight, for how he prepares for everything he does.
Call to Action: Jim invites listeners to get out of their chairs in October 2020 and walk 100 miles in 50 hours around Sam Smith Park in Cartersville, Georgia. Train for it and walk with Jim and Sleeves. Develop habits that will carry over. Find our podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, rate it, subscribe, share it, and help us get this word out! Send Jim an email with your suggestions on guests.See our Website: MenBuildMen.comEmail: [email protected]
Marks of a Man on Facebook
Jim Nicklas on InstagramSleeves — Dwight Davis on YouTube