the battle rages

battles arent won by standing around and watching everything around you fall apart before you realize you have lost. battles are won by seeing the enemy or the problem coming in advance, preparing yourself to handle it, and standing up for you. for your heart. your mind. your faith. the strength will come when you are prepared for the battle.

but only when you are prepared fully. if you are only partially prepared you will only partially win, or partially lose depending on how you look at it.

as your battle rages, you can fight. but don't fight against the changes that are happening. fight for the changes. accept them. if you fight against them, cling to them, and constantly dwell on them, that is part of losing the battle. you weren't fully prepared to face the battle if you are still clinging to the side that has already lost. when thoughts begin to change or when life begins to change from thoughts or a life of hurt and pain to a life of freedom and redemption we get scared. we know that the plateau or mountain top of our spiritual high will not last we would rather cling to the past- whether consciously or subconsciously- because we are comfortable in that pain. we are comfortable and familiar with the feelings and emotions connected to those memories. and we would rather have that comfort than to fall into a new valley of new challenges.

but let me tell you--from experience-- it is better to fall forward into a new valley than to cling to that past. if your heart and mind are stuck on that past, you fall into an unhealthy pattern where little growth can actually take place. this pattern goes something like this:
1. You're down in the valley.
2. You begin to climb out.
3. You keep climbing, but occasionally look back.
4. You reach the top.
5. You start to go over the other side, don't like the way it looks and say "No".
6. You fall back into the same valley you were in before.

in this pattern you don't really get anywhere. you are going to address the same issues over and over and over again until you feel like there is just too much hopelessness and you are a lost cause. if you feel that way, let me tell you... you are not a lost cause. you may feel hopeless, but i can promise you there is hope. when you are properly prepared to fight the battle you can climb that mountain, look back and say "I won", then look over the other side and say i can overcome whatever lies down there.

you might be asking me: "well how can i prepare for this battle" and you probably won't like the answer i'm going to give you. i could give you tips on how i conquered my valley, but what worked for me might not work for you. but i have three places for you to start, as a springboard.
1. pray. pray for wisdom, for guidance, for freedom from whatever is holding you down.
2. actively seek the wisdom of those older than yourself. you would be amazed at what you can learn from some people.
3. don't look so much at the big picture of things. take each individual week, day, moment as it comes.

with hope.
you can conquer this.
amanda.