In The Midst Of The Battle, Help Me to Stand Lord.

Romans 12:12 - Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

This verse was passed on to me (thank you LJ) and has really challenged me to hang on when I felt like letting go today. I realize that Christ didn't promise an easy life if we followed Him, but He did promise that He will go through the valleys with us and bring us out victorious on the other side. (And that means even if it doesn't go the way we had planned.) The true victory over tribulation lies not in the outcome, but in way we carried our banner of grace, faith, hope and love with us in the midst of the battle. I am afraid I have not always waved those banners high but at times have replaced them with much heavier ones that said fear, discouragement, doubt, anger and self-pity. Tonight, my banners are dragging on the ground a bit and I am in great need of the Father's help in holding them up. Of course the evil one revels in our defeat and loves to knock us down, even when we are already on our knees. I'm so thankful that God is more awesome and able to not only help us with our heavy burdens but has offered to pick them up and carry them all the way to the cross for us if we only would be willing to hand them over to Him in trust. As I crawl under my quilt tonight, I will likely cry myself to sleep at how heavy everything has gotten but I will ask my Father to lift my load and I will try my frail best to have joy, hope and faith in the very center of the storm.