"It's Worth Fighting For"

June 10th, 11th, & 12th

  Sometimes it doesn't come naturally, sometimes it's really hard to get down what's in your head.

  I had the privilege and opportunity to embark on a three day canoeing expedition of sorts with Bethany, Matt and some of the family.  I'll skip the meaningless jabber and cut to the point though, it was raining a lot....... like a lot.  To be honest by the second day I was decently sure I had exerted all my possible energy and then some. I was ready to call it quits when I thought of something. Just as the soldier raised the mallet to drive the rod through Christ's wrist I wonder if he was thinking the same thing? I know what it feels like to be truly fully exerted so how much further did Christ push himself beyond that point?  what would have happened if He would have called it quits, just once? What if when things got hard we just gave up?

  Something that can only be described as irreplaceably beautiful happened the next day; the sun came out, the air was sweet and calm and I could feel the warmth in my chest.  It was worth it, every last second of paddling in the rain, and every last sopping wet article of clothing.  Because I didn't give up there was most literally a day of light, love, warmth and rest in store for me.  My dearest friends, life is such as this.  It wont be easy,  there'll be rainy days, heck it'll pour.  But trusting there's more to it, placing your comfort to the side, even if just for a moment we can achieve our ultimatum, our finalizing endeavor. We can struggle through it and when the clouds part and the world has done all it can to bring us down we can stand before God and watch as our faith is rewarded, as our perseverance is justified, as we finally lay down and say, "I have fought the good fight, I have ran the good race, and I have done it well".   That my friends is worth fighting for.        

 As Frodo once asked Sam, (and for some reason I'm crying)  "And what are we fighting for Sam?" "That there's some good left in this world Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for".