Be Strong
I found myself in a very dark season, actually, it was the darkest season that I have ever experienced in my lifetime. This specific season called for me to be an advocate for myself, but also, an advocate for my children. I unfortunately, endured a great deal of lies, persecution, and bullying from our abuser, as well as, systems in place that were created with the intentions to protect individuals that are being unjustly treated. Due to being the person that was chosen to be on the frontlines, the things that I endured, created anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I remember standing in front of the judge, with our abuser and his just as abusive lawyer, to the right of me. My mouth would be dry, my hands would be sweaty, and it seemed as if every word that I spoke was low and distorted. Even pulling up to the court, would cause for my stomach to ache and a feeling of darkness to overpower, the justice that I was attempting to fight for. After several court appearances, court order violations, filed motions, and violated Personal Protection Orders, we still have yet to receive well deserved justice, that I so earnestly fought for.
Have you ever experienced a situation where you wanted to do nothing more than to just ball up in a corner, sheltering yourself from what you know that you needed to face? Do you know what it feels like to be ANYTHING BUT STRONG and BRAVE? Maybe you are in a situation right now, where you too, are being lied on, persecuted, and justice feels so far out of reach. Maybe you want nothing more than for God to remove you from that dark place of suffering. Maybe you feel like it’s just too much to bear, and you believe the lies of the enemy, as he whispers in your ear, that life would be better if you were no longer in it.
God gives us some clear commands to be STRONG and BRAVE. I do not believe for one second, that God commands these things of us, because He fails to empathize with our hurts and fears. I truly believe that God understands our fears AND the injustices that we face, more than we do. If we reflect back to the years of Jesus’s ministry days, we will be reminded of all of the lies, persecutions, and yes, the fears that even Jesus experienced. Three times before His unjustified crucifixion, Jesus asked for God to remove His suffering. As profound as that is, the more profound part, was when Jesus agreed to endure the suffering, if it was the WILL OF GOD. God is our shelter. God is the ONLY source that our STRENGTH can come from. I pray that you will be inspired to be STRONG and BRAVE, just as Jesus was. His death on the cross was just for YOU. Whether you obtain justice on this side of earth or not, hold on to the FACT that it is waiting for you on the other side. Heaven will be YOUR REWARD, so be STRONG and BRAVE!
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalms 31:24
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
1. What situation am I currently experiencing, that is causing me to lose hope, rather, to hold on to hope?
2. Am I running to God for shelter, or am I running to other people, places and things, to bring me shelter?
3. What is my role in bringing forth justice to unjust situations in my own life, and/or, in the lives of those around me?
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