Defeated....

I was chatting to a friend online tonight who presented me with the words, " I feel defeated." Seeing those words come across my computer screen made my heart sink. She has shared with me the struggles she is facing in her life. Both in business and personally, she is having a hard time.

I can imagine her feelings...she is in a valley. The mountaintop seems too high to reach. Sitting at the bottom with head in hand, crying, despairing over what events are transpiring all around her. I can imagine her feelings because I've been there too. Haven't we all? Even as we were talking, we realized that each of us in our immediate group of friends was going through this same season. We each have different events affecting us, but we are all in the valley.

In talking to my sweet friend and in thinking about our "valley" I actually started to get angry. Well first, I cried along with her and felt my heart break too, but then I got mad. She is a daughter of the most High God. I am too. Our friends are followers of Christ. We are on this journey together because of a shared vision we believe was given to us by God Himself. So how dare the enemy think he can load us up with his garbage!

He thinks he can because he is trying to wear us down. He wants us to be tired. He wants us to feel defeated. If we give up, then he has won. Well I have news for him....we are not giving up! When one of us feels defeated, we will hold her up until she regains her strength. We may all be in the valley, but we are here together for a purpose.

I'm reminded of the story of Moses holding the staff up during a battle. The battle was being won as long as he could hold up his arms. Now you know his arms got tired...he was weary....he was drained. In his own strength he couldn't do it anymore. But the men beside him stepped in. They held his arms up for him when he could no longer lift them up. They supported Moses. They didn't leave his side until the battle was won.

So enemy, you listen up. We are NOT giving up. We are NOT giving in. We are here, holding each other up, as long as it takes until this battle is won. We were sent here together for a purpose and we are going to see that purpose come to light. God has blessed it (and us) and we are going to fight every step of the way. We've read the end of the story and we know who wins.

Eavesdropping

I didn't mean to eavesdrop on my son tonight. I was in the bathroom getting ready for bed when I heard him talking in the other room. He was curled up on the bed with one of his lovies. When you press his tummy, he recites a bedtime prayer. G has paid a lot of attention to prayers lately...those we pray together, the one his lovey says, and the ones offered up at lunchtime each day at school.

Tonight I heard him begin by saying the prayer along with his lovey. Then as the lovey stopped talking I clearly heard G on his own....

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

Psalm 19:14 flowed out of him so sweetly. We haven't practiced this particular verse or taught it in a devotional. It was part of a prayer a classmate says before lunch. Who knew that when we began this practice at LifeSong that it would be used to influence another heart? Who knew that my heart would be so influenced?

God knew. It was His plan from the beginning. He knew that this would be a stressful season in my life and that I would need this sweet reminder of His hand in my life and the life of my baby. Help me Father each day as I bind my heart to this prayer and let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.