Yes Virginia, Life is not a Beignet!

Yes Virginia, life is not a beignet, but it doesn’t have to be sour mustard either.  I got an email, it was not ugly, but it was obvious that someone was bothered, I suspect this person was not alone, please allow me elaborate.  This is a line from the email, “I enjoy your work and you are very encouraging in your blog, but, it seems as if you live in a fairy tale world, where all is good, please help me understand where you are really coming from?!”   No problem, that is where I’m really coming from.  No the world is not a fairy tale, far from it, but it doesn’t have to be a place  where we live in constant misery either.   Are there awful things happening in the world, yes.  Can I do much about most of it, no.

We have a choice in life, we can put ourselves in the loving arms of our Savior and trust Him even in the very difficult times, or we can try to slug it out with the world completely on our own.  I’ve tried both systems, the first is the only one that works.  I have a very dear brother in Christ, who is one of the kindest, most gentle, and loving men I know, and you would never guess what he did for a living before he retired. He was an investigating officer, in crimes against children.  I can’t imagine a more more difficult mantle to have to shoulder, more of a burden.  Yet, this man has been an “overcomer” !  His life is not based on his circumstances, but the victory of His Heavenly Father.  Sadly the world is filled with evil, and evil will always make itself apparent in this world.  This world is broken, and someday it will be replaced with the promised paradise from our Father in Heaven, till then we must, do all we can to fight the wrongs, and find our strength in Him. Christians are not cowards, that shrink in the corner with their eyes closed tightly.   They are fighters that seek to meet evil face to face and triumph over it, they just don’t do it their own strength.   David did not defeat Goliath because of his skill and cunning, He defeated Goliath because God was on his side.

Can you defeat the world around you, no, but it has already been defeated by the man that gave His life for you.  The enemy that runs free in this world has already been defeated, the fight has been called,  he just doesn’t know it yet……….

So to answer your question, yes, I know I’m in a world filled with hurt, but God is in control and while he will not spare me from all the pain, He will hold me up in the midst of it.  I may get bruised and scarred , but will not suffer defeat, a promise worth holding on to.  I wish the same for you my friend, don’t settle for being defeated, live in victory, ask Him to walk along with you, it’s the only Way……..

the pilgrim