Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.
~Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910- )
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
~ Proverbs 16:24
Deep calls to Deep at the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
~ Psalm 42:7-8
The life of a soldier of the Cross is not ever lonely. We no longer really have a life of our own. Rather, we have Life in Him. It is mostly a place of the most profound peace and power. A place of otherworldly righteousness. Sin can easily entangle, but His strength in us makes it even easier to brush away. And there is this unfathomable joy. Oh, beloved! Let Him give it to you tonight. This Joy fills us with a courage and strength that is only cheapened with words.
Circumstance becomes irrelevant.
(self-induced) Pain becomes unnecessary.
Joy becomes full
Purpose becomes apparent.
And the only thing that truly turns us on, is when G_d looks better by how our lives get lived.
But there is challenge. There is separation from this world. There is rejection. There is persecution. There is even, for the worthy, martyrdom.
And there is the human fatigue that comes from relentless battle with forces that we cannot see. Our ears ring from the hammer-blows of the enemy against the Helmet of our Salvation. And yes, there are times we just wish we could get a little good news on the battlefield. There is just so much death and destruction and pain and waste and want in this fallen-into-corruption planet.
We love and pray and give and take thoughts captive. We share the Gospel and people often just ignore us or fling it back in our face. And, yeah, our joy is so full – we would (and could) keep doing this till our last breath.
There is just this fully human need to actually feel the fellowship of the brethren. It is in the words of our brothers and sisters in Christ – in their hands and feet; and especially in their eyes that we feel a manifestation of the Love of this same Jesus. G_d has very good reason to keep the coals of our lives banked together. The adversary has only one real strategy: separate and destroy. If he can get us alone, he has a much better chance of devouring our life and testimony.
And then a day comes in the midst of the protracted spiritual battles. It is the day when the care packages come through the logistics channels.
He Himself comforts us with words of Love and encouragement.
Mentors send words of congratulation on progress.
Family members send greetings, love and wishes for reunion.
Lovers and friends let us know they are still there.
News arrives that works on other fronts are proceeding.
These are good days. They are not the cake, but they sure are some delicious icing on it.
Wait for these days beloved fellow soldiers. They come at just the right time.
