The Victory is Worth the Fight

By Haley Waters

I don't know about you, but I love a good fight scene. Not the "bullies taking lunch money" scene or the "troubled kids beating each other up" scene or the ridiculous parking lot fights people film and put on Youtube, I'm talking about... a battle scene.

One of my favorite sagas is The Lord of The Rings, and I LOVE the fight scenes in each movie. They are the definition of epic, my favorite being the Battle of Helmsdeep in The Two Towers (accepting my nerd crown, thank you). Not only are there light-hearted, funny moments, 

but there also always comes a moment where the characters decide they are ALL IN. Win or lose, they're going to give it all they've got. And because it's a movie, usually the heroes win, and I love to see that moment of rejoicing, when everyone gets together, nearly dead, painted with their own blood and that of those they've defeated (they were just orcs, don't worry), celebrating their victory. 

Chronicles of Narnia is another saga with great scenes of war. (I'm sensing a pattern of genre here). Even if I've seen these movies numerous times, every time the fight scenes come on, I'm on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, pulling for the good guys, and when that moment of decision comes, to give it one last shot, usually followed by a W, I'm cheering and celebrating along with these fictional characters.

I have the same commitment when it comes to sports scenes: it's the big game, they need to win to make playoffs, or it's the championship game and it's Bobby's last year to play and he needs a scholarship so he can make it big and buy his mom a house, etc. (Remember the Titans and Friday Night Lights being a few of my favorites--another pattern) I just love to root for the home team! To see battles won, victories achieved, and odds beaten!

Part of the reason I love these scenes is because of the resolution: the victory at the end of the battle, the win at the end of the game. But imagine if these scenes lasted forever...I would fall asleep and wake up hours later wondering how Legolas hasn't run out of arrows. Most of what we remember about movies is how they end. But if they never ended, we would lose interest and forget the battle altogether.

I would love to say the battles we face in our own lives are the same as the ones we watch on screen: the music comes in at just the right moment, we find our father's ancient sword at our feet just as the enemy is approaching, or the winning pass gets tossed right into our waiting hands as we near the end zone, but our victories look a little different, and most often have nothing to do with our own ability but with God's grace and love. But sometimes our battles are much like those eternal snooze-fests I spoke of earlier. 

2 Chronicles 16:9 in the Message translation says, "God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to Him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God's help. Now you're in trouble--one round of war after another."

Doesn't that sound awful? A never-ending war. Yet that's the situation many of us find ourselves in when we don't rely on God. 

Without His help and our total surrender to Him, 
we can't win the battles in our life, and without victory, 
the war will never cease.

I've seen quite a few battles; ones in which I was wearing the armor and ones my friends and family have fought through. Every battle that gets a win, every fight that ends in victory for the good guys has been won when the outcome is relinquished to God. Now I do believe He equips us with [His] strength, and gives us boldness and courage to fight alongside Him, but as long as we are leading the army while He is an extra in our scene, war will continue with no conclusion. We CAN'T win without Him. 

Of course, we don't mean to take control, we don't intend to fight without God's help, but then we find ourselves barely-standing, on a battlefield of good intentions and hopelessness, wondering when this war will end. "God why won't you help me?!" "God, I'm tired, I can't fight anymore!" And all He wants is to fight for you, if you will only let Him. 

What battles are you trying to fight today? I certainly hope you're aren't trying to fight tomorrow's battles as well, because "...tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." (Matthew 6:34) 

If you feel like you're in a war that won't end, if you feel defeated and yet somehow remain in battle, evaluate the areas you're keeping from Him, the fights you're keeping Him out of, and let Him take care of today. 

Elisabeth Elliott said, "Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business."

Now, don't think you're going to give God the battle and you get to run off to lounge by the pool and wait it out. You will still have to fight through whatever comes against you, but the BEST news is, you will not fight alone, and you can have peace, and be certain that He has already won.

2 Chronicles 20:15 
"Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, 
for the battle is not yours but God's."

Proverbs 21:31
 "...victory belongs to the Lord."

You Can't See Me

By Vanessa Shepherd

Those words, those four words, make up my son’s favorite sentence. And if you are unfamiliar with the phrase, just know it comes from a guy named John Cena who is in fact... a wrestler. Now, I’m not talking the real stuff. I’m talking WWE, and yes, I am praying for him also, but there is no swaying him. Believe me, I have tried! 

I am not sure what is most appealing to a six year old; the grown men in spandex, the crazy costumes they parade themselves in, or the pretend fighting that looks like a bad high school war scene reenactment. Whatever it is, it has enraptured him and there is no going back now. This is my life. A boy running around the house waving his hand in front of his face smiling as he taunts his brother- “you can’t see me”. 

Just the mention of those words and Michael feels on top of the world. Like he can conquer anything. Like he is a superhero. And he is right. He has found the one thing that we have all at one time or another stumbled upon, our super power (so to speak) and it is to just simply be… invisible. 

To be in a crowded room and feel like you are utterly alone. 

To be in conversation and feel completely unheard. 

You can’t see me. 

YOU CAN’T SEE ME. 

How is it that we can be around the same people for years and still feel unknown? Unwanted? Or unneeded? I don’t like this super hero business. I don’t like this super power. I’m a girl; I just want to paint my nails and play with makeup. Can’t we leave the play acting to the boys? If only, sweet girls, if only. 

I have been the last picked for teams and the first picked to be picked on. I have been asked my name by the same people countless times. I have been the one to be left out of the parties and the one forgotten about when my birthday has come around. I get it. I feel it too. 

So to the invisible girl, the one screaming “you can’t see me”, listen up… you are not alone! Even David has felt like this before, just read what he says in Psalm 31:12- “I am forgotten like a dead man, and out of mind; like a broken vessel am I.” We have all gone through seasons of loneliness but know this- you are visible to a loving God, and you are more important than you’ll ever know. Don’t give up when you think no one is watching because chances are someone is. 

If I could give you two things to remember in such a time as this it would be that... 

1. Distance always causes distortion 

The further we get from others the more the truth becomes blurred. We tend to exaggerate things that have really happened when we choose to be out of contact with people. It is just human nature; to make others into villains and ourselves into victims. But the answer to any problem is not more distance. There is no conversation, no confronting, no healing to be found in more distance. So don’t retreat. Fight the instinct to flight. Now is the time to be more involved, more connected with others. It’s painful at first, yes, but so is stitching up a wound. But if you are looking for healing you must take the first step. So close the gap. 

James 5:16 

“Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, 

your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored.”

And when you choose to stick it out and be around the same people who have made you feel so alone, remind yourself of this… 

2. Feelings are always one-sided 

Your feelings are valid, they are reactions. There is no way to conjure up a feeling of any kind albeit love or hate without a cause. So do not feel judged for how you feel. But in the midst of those very real feelings, don’t forget that they are also not telling the full story. They are only telling your side of it. When we feel forgotten we tend to push blame on to others for not noticing us. I mean, we are awesome so how dare they right? But what if, just what if, they are going through their own battles and it isn’t that they don’t think of you but that they are so consumed with their own troubles and struggles to go out of their way to notice if you are feeling welcome or comfortable. Sometimes our feelings can be screaming so loudly “you can’t see me” that we don’t hear the quiet responses of, “yes we can”. So take the time to stop and listen.

Psalm 73:15-17

“Had I spoken thus [and given expression to my feelings], I would have been untrue and have dealt treacherously against the generation of Your children. But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood [for I considered] their end."

From one girl longing to stifle her super power from time to time, to another- 

Be strong, my friend. 

You may feel invisible but you are not alone. 

I can see you.