“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” – Ephesians 6:13

It turns out that Pat Benatar was right. Love IS a battlefield. But wait, there’s more. Life is a battlefield, too.

For months now, I have been slogging along through the trenches. Every once in a while I get a glimpse of blue sky or the scent of flowers in the breeze. But mostly there’s been battles and mud and heavy loads.

Some of it, I’m sure, is my own doing. A byproduct of my own  sometimes dysfunctional approach to challenges. But a lot of it is out of my control. I see the struggles and suffering of those I hold dear, and I feel like I’m caught in a battle.

Bad things happen to loved ones, sometimes for no reason we can grasp. What do we do then? We need to come along side them. Get down in the muddy, broken places and fight for love. The Lord doesn’t want us to abandon one another in the midst of war. He calls us to put on His armor. To carry His message of hope and grace in the trenches.

“Experiencing the abundant life God intends for us does not mean that our lives will be problem-free. On the contrary, life is a series of problems that often act as obstacles to our search for significance, and the abundant life is the experience of God’s love, forgiveness, and power in the midst of these problems… It often seems that unsuspecting believers are the last to know this battle is occurring, and they don’t know that Christ has ultimately won the war. They are surprised and confused by difficulties, thinking that the Christian life is a playground, not a battlefield.” – The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee

I haven’t posted on my blog in so long because I have been down in the trenches battling. I wanted to come to you after overcoming the challenges, but the challenges remain. Days turning to weeks turning to months.

God prompted me to send you a missive from the mud. He wouldn’t leave me alone about it. It’s gotten kind of annoying. I’ve tried to ignore Him (la, la, la, I didn’t hear that). He’s telling me I missed the point. His people need to get real with each other, not hide behind the quick “I’m fine.”

I don’t know what battles you’re facing today, but here’s the good news. Christ has already won the war! All these difficulties will not prevail against the believer. There is hope not just over the horizon but in the trenches.

^” But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”              –  2 Corinthians 4:7-9

Did you see that? The power comes from God, not from us. I don’t know why bad things happen, but I do know that God will use the struggles in your life for His glory and your hope, if you let Him.

Here it is again from Beth Moore: “We have to get down on our knees in the hardship of our circumstances and apply God’s Word to the most difficult places, believing God will bring a harvest.” – Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent

The other day in the midst of a trying day (week, month, year), I took our crazy hyper German Shepherd-Border Collie mix Elektra on a run through the park. I was awestruck and amazed by the fall colors I saw there. Vivid yellow leaves fluttering to the ground around us, trees ablaze in amber made even more brilliant against the leaden overcast sky.

The autumn beauty. The laughter of children. A lovely little loaf of pumpkin bread from a friend. God’s gifts to me in the trenches.

Two more from Beth Moore:

“Jesus is the author of connection. Satan is the author of isolation. The more our enemy takes us captive, the further we distance ourselves from healthy people.”

“Sometimes the circumstances of our suffering may not change, but the circumstances of our hearts are changed in the midst of them through a keen sense of God’s presence and a lively perception of His activity.” (both from Stepping Up)

Let’s not push each other away or try to hide when fighting a war. Let’s reach out and look out for one another. Carry one another’s burdens in prayer.  Brothers and sisters in arms.

When you are truly battling, you remember what’s important. Worldly wealth and success pale in comparison with God’s persistent pursuing love for us. We are reminded of His mission: walking in His love and sharing it with others.

“I wait for the Lord. I wait and I put my hope in His word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning — more than watchmen for the morning. [Believer], put your hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is unfailing love, and with Him there is redemption.” – Psalm 130:5-7