Take one for the Team

My pastor gave an amazing message yesterday on David & Goliath. It wasn't your usual "have faith and the giant will die!" story. It was more about knowing that "giants" will come in life and you need to face them. The Lord did not promise us perfection in our lives and I tell you what, that has been such a hard concept for me to grasp with the injury of my daughter.

Like I said before I had been through A LOT in my life. Illness of my own, abuse, torn relationships with those you feel should be trusted the most, miscarriages, the list goes on. Most people who know me would say I am strong, that I can handle ANYTHING.

I have seen a lot of despair the last few months. On the news and within my own world. And there is no one way to handle something hard, there is no one way to battle a giant.

But here are some questions I have for you.

Do you have peoples attention?
Are you a parent?
Are you a Christian?
Do you stand for something...anything?

There are so many people in the world wanting to live a victim role. It's like that is their life's work! It's horrible and I am sure you all know someone like that. Let me ask you...is that the person you want in your life when a crisis comes? No.

Is that the person you call for advice? No.

Is that the person you point out to your children for them as an example? No.

Is that the person you point out to a non-Christian that you are trying to tell about the love of Christ and how HE is your redeemer? No.

So what good is it to you or to anyone else to be the victim? Maybe it gets you attention for a while. But that will pass.

I was deeply depressed as a teenager and I was anorexic. I will never forget my sister bringing up to me that someday my children would see pictures of me unhealthy and they would question those pictures. It struck me that more than anything I wanted to be a mom, and more than anything I wanted to be a strong, encouraging mom to my future children. That was one reason I fought to become healthy. The future and what other people would think of me.

It's easy for us to say we don't care what others think. But if that is the case then what good are we. If we live in our own little world, helping no one and thinking only of ourselves then we have missed such an amazing opportunity. It's life folks. I don't care what you believe, but if you are only thinking of yourself you've missed the boat.

Sometimes when the giants come we focus on ourselves so much that we forget people are watching. People are looking for answers. People want to know that you have been in the pit and have come out victorious!

There were days when I was in the pit and all I wanted to do was cry...but I had a little one watching me and looking for hope. Someday my children will know all about my past and I want them to know that I did not allow that ugliness to embitter me. I did not let the abuse weaken me. I did not let betrayals kill me and I did not let the giant win.

I pray that if you are struggling with something great. You will see the eyes watching you and you will in essence take one for the team, because I promise the more you lift you chin in the presence of a giant, the more confidence you show, the smaller that giant will become and you will be a light shining to everyone else facing a battle of some sort. You, yes you, may be the hope someone is seeking.

Be a blessing today.