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the struggle is REAL

by Karmen |

“The struggle is real” is trending.

The words are fun to say but weighted in truth

real

My daddy says it all the times, “Life’s hard girls.”

Still these words snatched me like a child begging for attention

“..He did not give up because of the cross..”  Hebrews 12:2

It’s Lenten season.  The season many simplify, fast and pray more in order to grow closer to God.

It’s a season of remembering.

Setting our posture towards the cross.

You remember the cross, right?

Where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who for love’s sake was hanged after He was beaten, spat on, ridiculed, mocked, pierced and left for dead.

Lest we forget, He did not give up.

Nor should we.

Are you in a rough patch? Playing chicken with the hardship coming at you like a freight train down the track?

I get it.

Are you weary and full of questions?  Wondering what’s next?

Tempted to play the deadly, “what if” or “if only” games?

Just say no.

Don’t.  Instead let’s remember and remind each other.

“..He did not give up because of the cross..”

J and I take turns.  The days I’m down for the count he reminds me, other days I remind him.

We don’t know real hardship.

I thanked my sweet mama the other day for being so transparent.  They have been so gracious in sharing their struggles and hardships with my sisters and me.  Their authenticity is a cherished gift and one of my favorite things about our family.  We don’t play pretend.

Their hardships, ours, yours- all wear different makeup.

And yet, pain is pain and hard its hard.

No need to compare.

The struggle is real.

One of the girls from the jail called me yesterday from a motel.  She’s out on parole and has a three-day stay at the motel.  She has no car, no job, broken relationships with children, and is an addict fighting for a new beginning.

Her call was a sobering, timely reminder.

I don’t know hard.

We’re in this together friends, this pilgrimage called life.

Struggling, fighting, running together.

If you’re in the heat of battle-FIGHT ON dear friends!

If you’re in the depths of the despair and regret has you by the throat-FIGHT HARDER!!

If you’re alone, broke, broken, frustrated, sad or hurting

Take a moment and look around

You are not alone.

Momma’s told us since we were little girls, “There’s always, always going to be someone a little better and a little worse off than you are.  Be kind.”

Hook arms with someone and KEEP GOING!

The unshakable kingdom is coming!

Let’s run this race well, loving, caring, serving each other lest we grow weary and fall.

Remembering this–

“..all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on?

It means we better get on with it….. start running – and never quit!

No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sin.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we are in.

Study how he did it.

Because he never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God –he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever.

And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

When you find yourself flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through.

That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1-3 (The Message)

Now, let’s DO THIS!

much love,

karmen

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Filed Under: #iheart, be brave, blog, Everything Else, faith, Inspire Tagged With: be real, FIGHT ON, life is hard, run your race, the struggle is REAL

Comments

  1. Pat S. says

    February 25, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    So beautifully written, my IF friend. I love this. Thank you for the encouragement.

  2. evy says

    February 25, 2015 at 5:16 pm

    I love this! “We don’t play pretend.” We all start to waiver sometimes, but picking up the Bible is picking up TRUTH. If we can remember that, we will not lose our way. Thanks for the shot, Karmen! ♥♥♥

  3. Bobbie J McLaren says

    February 25, 2015 at 5:53 pm

    With so much going on in the world, we see lives being cut short because they are Christians or Jews and losing them is such ways that are horrific. How blessed we are in this country right now. The day may come when we face those extremes in our own backyards, but until then…we need to press on! I appreciate the word you share and the wisdom you impart as we know, “His Word is a light to our path”. Where would we be without the awesome love and mercy of our Lord? It sometimes seems easy to view hardship and pain when it isn’t ours. Yet, when it becomes personal, the view makes the pain more real. I love real people that don’t try to sugar coat the trial. We learn from what we see and from those hands of experience reaching out. Thanks for all you do!!!

  4. Nikki @ Monday Morning Mama says

    March 3, 2015 at 1:32 am

    LOVE this post. “Setting our postures towards the cross”. Always posturing towards Him, towards grace….it’s a choice, an action, a response. Thanks for sharing!

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