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We Win!

by Shannon Heiden  
10/07/2010 / Devotionals

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. (1 Peter 5:10 NLT)

Beautiful One, do you have what it takes to be all you were created to be? It's an honest question and if you answer quickly your answer may be, "Yes." But, if you take some time to think about it, you might run into trouble.

As Christians, many of us may mistakenly believe that as long as God is on our side, we win an easy victory! But, what happens when we know God is on our side, yet feel the sting of defeat? We will face discouraging challenges and sometimes they may cause us to whirl around in a dizzying cycle that seems impossible to break.

There is a lot of chatter flitting around our Christian circles. Believers are famous for inspiring words encouraging each other to do great things for God. These types of messages are among my personal favorites. But despite all the positive words speaking to my spirit, I know that life's challenges will come in and try to choke the inspiration right out of my soul.

Nothing is more discouraging than hoping for something great only to have it cruelly evade us. It wouldn't be so bad, but sometimes there is another challenge waiting in the wings. That is when endurance enters the fray. It is easy to question if we have what it takes to get to the other side, but that is when we must dig deep to reach the greatness hiding within. We may question whether we really have what it takes to get to the other side, but, usually the side of greatness we long for is waiting to be released.

I've felt that weight of discouragement. I once heard someone say, write what you know. I don't know how true that statement is, because plenty of articles have been crafted as a result of writers researching a subject for material. Perhaps, it should be said that we can write from the heart when we have experienced our topic first hand.

Upon sitting down to write this article, I made the decision to share what I know. There is a reason God has called me to write for others who Silently Suffer.

It has been a little over a year now that my marriage has been severed. The circumstances abruptly ending my fairytale can best be described as bizarre. I am a firm believer in the sanctity of marriage and working things out to preserve those sacred vows. But, sometimes hashing things out with a spouse just isn't as option; that is what happened to me. The last few years have been my personal dark ages, because it feels like I have stumbled around more in the dark than in the light.

My marriage became toxic, and poison tentacles reached into the lives of other family members. It was a bad situation. Maybe you can relate. Because we are not responsible for anothers actions, there are times when we must severe toxic ties with those who spread darkness and cause discouragement in the lives of others.

In my case there was betrayal of epic proportions. Because I took my marriage vows seriously, it was not an easy decision to leave, but the damage to my entire family was irreversible. I hated it all, but that was the challenge staring me down.

Beautiful One, I never imagined this for my life, but I had a little big of dignity and great big God on my side. Even though all of this happened, I still had God's promises to cling to. He was on my side even though I was enveloped in a cloak of dismay.

I cannot describe how hard this past year has been, and yet, God moved in ways that took my breath away. I can truly say that where I stand today, I may not feel very strong, but God has given me a resiliency and determination that tells me I'm not going down.

I will arise from these ashes. I will be all God wants me to be. Oh, don't think I haven't made mistakes, cried, or had my faith painfully tested, but I know this shall pass.

I share all of this to let you know you are not alone when you struggle through life's challenges. Beautiful One, we may be pained and our dreams may be shattered, but God will never take you through the valley unless there is a mountaintop just up ahead.

Maybe greatness simply means not giving up. Maybe the greatness lies in the courage we display when we keep believing that something better is just around the corner. When you face the impossible, hold on. Hold on to the Father's hand and take it one day at a time

We are still here, we have survived, we may have suffered, but don't you know, after the cross, it's resurrection day, and with God on our side, WE WIN!

Beautiful one, just believe!

Shannon Heiden
[email protected]
changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com

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