The Battles of Life...

“The men of the East may spell the stars,
And times and triumphs mark,
But the men signed of the cross of Christ
Go gaily in the dark.

“The men of the East may search the scrolls
For sure fates and fame,
But the men that drink the blood of God
Go singing to their shame.

By G.K Chesterton: The Ballad of the White Horse.

I love these verses.
They make me feel a stronger person. A person who is able to look at the various struggles and temptations of life in the eye and know that I can overcome them.

In relation to so many people my life is so easy, so uncomplicated and so blessed.
This does not mean that I still do not struggle with my many imperfections and failings that come my way .....daily, in fact many times daily.

Sometimes I am so busy being and doing that I do not see these sinful actions as they hit me in the face during the day, over and over. It is only by taking the time to read inspirational books and quotes that I am able to rise above my imperfections and hopefully use these to give the best I can to those around me.

Perhaps I am alone in my needing these things to draw the very best out of me. Perhaps I just don't look enough at the opportunities that I do have in life and use them to grow closer to God.

That doesn't mean that I don't want to. That doesn't mean that I use this as an excuse for my failings. It just means I need to know myself and what gives me more focus and strength to live my life to the fullest, as my God intended.

That is the reason I love to be challenged by these type of quotes: I find them in all types of places - from various movies, other books, blogs and  my own daily reflections.
Only as I take the time to 'be still and know' can I rise above my various imperfections and truly give my life as an offering for my Lord.

One of the things  I have said to  my children from the time they were little is
" If you are listening to a conversation and someone says something you know is wrong. If you do not speak out against this then by your silence you are condoning this train of thought and/or action"
or the other I use often
" Good is good even when no-one is doing it, and Evil is Evil even when everyone is doing it"

This can be so hard to do in many instances in our lives but the one thing I do know is that I WILL do this, and have done this on many occasions.

It is a nerve racking and heart pounding experience BUT I have never regretted any of these actions when I have thrown my life into the 'tlions den', and it is then that I know - I have been a witness to the famous words from Chesterton and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a soldier for Christ.

May you fight your own battles of life bravely and strongly, trusting in the Lord for strength and guidance.

Blessings to you and your homes,