Battle On

Believe it or not, we are born into a world at war.

If you've lived any length of time, you've probably found there isn't really a more accurate statement.

We battle on a daily basis against all kinds of things. Of course there are days with some respite, but those are rarely the norm.

I have been struggling with my job lately. Struggling to find that place of fulfillment and purpose. Somewhere along the way over the past few years it has slipped away under an avalanche of the monotonously mundane daily duties that have sought to burry my passion and make me a complacent slave seeking only to make money to pay the mortgage, car payment, minimum credit card bill, utilities, Netflix, amongst the other menial "pleasures" of life.

I bought a house almost a year ago, and I have barely been able to take the time to maintain it due to such a hectic schedule. One of my goals was to put in a garden. With the help of my lovely lady we were able to clean up the over grown fence and put in a small plot out back. Here's what it looked like shortly after planting...
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It's important to remember that things, especially the good things, take time. It takes both sunshine and rain.

There is a lot left to do and a lot to manage. There are many more battles to be waged, and some of them will be more difficult than I would like, but the one thing I've learned over my short stint of life is that as long as we persevere we will come out the other side. James, Jesus' brother, lead his letter to the early church with this amazing statement "Consider it pure joy when you face trials/adversity of various kinds". I want to say "Uhh, James do you know what kind of adversity we face this day?"

The trial doesn't really matter as long as you know where you stand. James goes on to say "Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, so that you may be mature and complete lacking nothing." All of life's struggles, all of the battles and challenges we face are for a reason - to strengthen us.

If we aren't sure what is happening, why it is happening or how to deal with it, James goes on to say "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given him. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like the wave of the sea, blown and tossed about by the wind. That man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does."

The battles of this world at war take faith to make it through. It takes perseverance. Remember that even if you can't see the light right now, and it seems as if you are losing, there is hope. Hope in your future strength. Hope in making it through, knowing that this dark time will simply strengthen you for the bright days ahead.

The garden doesn't grow without the dark rainy days, and so it is with us.