Wounded Soldier

He lays on the ground, paralyzed by pain. He tries to rise, but is instantly grounded. The battle continues around him, yet he hears nothing. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to move. It hurts to feel anything other than the piercing stabs of his wounds.

A few weeks back I was reminded of a saying I once heard: "There are no sidelines on a battlefield." That image has always stuck in my head because I felt is was a perfect depiction of the spiritual war that goes on around us every day. I often forget how very REAL that is. Oh, it's clear what team I'm on. I will sport the Jesus jersey on my side of the field, paint some faces, even make up my own chants, but I would definitely say I've never been an aggressive warrior on that battlefield. In all honesty I'm probably more of the All-Star Cheerleader.....a part of the team, cheering them on, trying to make a sideline while I let to tough ones do the real fighting, only getting in the game when the ball is thrown my direction.

The only problem with that scenario.....you have to get in the battle sometime. It's true. There are NO sidelines. No one sits around in their camping chairs, eating the popcorn, socializing with the friends and family, taking score. Fighting is not optional.

I was talking to my husband about this the other night. I was telling him how I have felt like a wounded soldier on that battlefield for so many months now, letting the battle continue on around me. (And let's face it right....the world/battle does continue on. No one calls a "Game Off" just because you've fallen. That would be nice though, wouldn't it?) Being wounded....is not fun. Whether it is a minor scrape or one so deep you can still feel it long after it has healed, being wounded affects us. For so long I feel like I have focused on only the pain....until I decided to change my perspective. Maybe, just maybe, God let's us stay broken in ways we may not expect....like that of a shattered vessel....so that His light can beam through us.

"In life, falling is expected, but getting up is optional."

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