….i’ve been thinking alot about breakthroughs lately…ones that seem to land on our front step with happy ribbons and bows and others that seem to emerge from the very pit of hell itself…each one revealing truth and offering grace….
…but i have also realized that real, lasting breakthroughs seldom – if ever – arrive without first being preceded by battle…
…something happens…
….someone does something…
…or we do something….and consequences result….
…maybe immediately…maybe slowly built up over time….but reality arrives home…
….and we are forced to take a stand…for ourselves, for those we love, for the truths we honor….
….taking a stand, facing the music, taking it on the chin, choosing sides, swinging a punch and offering an embrace….
….all of it…..
….all of the above involve fighting the good fight…
….running headlong into battle…
…and if all you ever try to do is live as a “peace keeper” and never a true “peace maker”….
….you will miss the battle altogether and eventually become a casualty when you never even knew there was war…
….fighting the good fight is loving fiercely without compromise or apology…
….fighting the good fight is expressing true righteous indignation….
…..getting good and mad when you have reason to be good and mad…
….fighting the good fight is counting the cost….and fighting anyway…
….because loving well….is worth every cost….every battle…
….defending those you love is worth every cost…every loss…every battle…
….standing naively on the sidelines hoping everybody will smile and get along when bullets are flying is just plain cowardly and silly…..
….and dangerous……very dangerous….
….i know it’s not pleasant….
….i know no one wants to run headlong into battle….
….i know battles break out when least expected and always from the least expected source….
….but….believe me….to live trying to avoid the good fight is to live allowing yourself to become the casualty when you were created to be the warrior….
….real peace is never free….
…real peace comes with the highest cost….
…real peace is always, always worth the battle….always….
….so let’s run well….even if – for a season – it is running into battle…
….you will not regret the decision to run that leg of your race…..
…..never…….
