Cheryl Ries

I've not written for a while, not for lack of thought, but rather for an accidental "drought" of spirit!  I was besieged by a situation which was taking my total energy to concentrate upon the best way to manuever through, around, or over it. 

We all have times like that in our lives, when something more than a speedbump, but rather a major mountain of a problem comes along, one which takes our energy, our joy, our very peace if we let it.  I have spent the last month considering how to keep and/or regain mine . . it's not so easy these days.  We are at war with so many things which threaten to steal our peace.  The world is restless, unsteady, chaotic. Sometimes, our peace hasn't visited us for so long, that when a problem of major proportions comes along, we are already engaged in battle, and incapable of fighting off the demons.  Those demons cast our hearts full of doubt, worry, and fear.  They cast us upon a sea of despair, for the trepidations of not knowing our way through the situation we are in.  What are we to do?

What I do is simple.  I find my strength in my faith.  I always have.  I try to keep faithful during all times, but I surely pursue it in the tough times!  When things are going on in my world which besiege me and threaten my spirit with such gravity of despair for the overwhelming nature of what those situations represent, I go to the mattresses as it were.  I have fought a long battle to be faithful in my life, so when something threatens to fill my heart with all things in opposition to faith, the very least I can do is fight hard to maintain what I know to be the truth.  That is how I arm myself to do battle, I read . . I study . . I pray . . .I listen . . I consult.  I do all things which make my primary focus the restrengthening and resurgence of my faith and my hope!   The only way to grow through the things which happen to us is to use them as steps to help us grow!

When life is threatening to take your peace, your faith is floundering and your hope is more like hopelessness, do you just give in or do you stand strong where you are and prepare yourself for the fight ahead?  I suppose it is our "have-to-have-it-now-world" which deems things as necessary five minutes ago, but some battles and some struggles have lasted and endured for a long time in history before resolution happened!  If that scares you, you better learn now, it's not the type of test for which you are truly measured, but how you behaved during the tests!  If you are in the middle of a battle, a problem is persisting and you are just tired of it . . I suggest you learn how to find your faith, be strong, persist and persevere with happiness through it!  That is how the most successful champions have overcome anything!   We may not get what we want when we want it, but if we persist in faith with an good attitude while in the middle of our situations, not giving into our emotions, we can achieve greatness in life, all the while maintaining our happiness and sense of peace!  God blesses those who faithfully persist with a positive spirit through all that life brings!  It takes discipline, but it is imperative to have a positive spirit through everything which happens to you in life.  I am persevering in happiness!  I am also practicing:  The only way to grow through the things which happen to us is to use them as steps to help us grow!