Go,”I will hold the Frontline”

Today I am reminded of a movie called “Tears of the Sun.”  In this movie the country was on the brink of a Civil War.  A.K. Waters, (Bruce Willis) was assigned to lead a team of soldiers into the Nigerian jungle to rescue Dr Lena Kendricks.  That was his mission in the movie.  He shares the mission with her but she does not want to leave her patients to be slaughtered by rebels.  A.K. Waters witnesses all the great work she is doing to help the refugees and decides to help bring her and refugees to safety.  Stay with me here, it’s a great movie..

So as they set out on the mission there are bombs and bullets flying everywhere.  The most powerful statement in this movie was when it was time to cross over the border and A.K. Waters tells the Dr. and refugee, “Go, I will hold the frontline”.  A.K. Waters and his soldiers were being shot, he was losing some of his men in the crossfire.  Yet determined he and his soldiers aligned themselves in one unison to “Hold that Frontline”.   A.K. Waters knew the mission and it did not matter what was coming at them as long as he completed the assignment that was given to him.

This made me reflect on how many times in our life do we lose the fight in us because there is a battle going on.  We see the bombs, the bullets flying and everything is so loud and scary that we stop moving.  I recall one of the those battles in my life where I was on the brink of a divorce.  My husband and I had a very tough upbringing and we brought that baggage into our marriage.  We were losing the fight and sought counseling and even in our counseling we were cutting each others throats with our words. I wanted nothing more than to hurt him the way I felt he hurt me.  I wanted him to feel my pain and the pain of my past.  I was spewing hate and was angry at God for all I had endured.  I wanted nothing more than to walk away from marriage. That’s when God sent in an A.K. Waters along my way and some soldiers to help and they saw the mission in my life and decided to “Hold the Frontline”.

When I think of this I think of our friends and loved ones that may be going through their own battle in life and feel they are losing the fight.  That is where we come in and “Hold the Frontline”, we hold their hands up and pray and fight when they are losing hope and are wanting to quit.

Are you feeling defeated today or losing the battle in your life?  I am here to encourage you and let you know, you are not alone.  I am praying for you, I want to be able to “Hold the Frontline” for you.  Praying that God will send you some reinforcement like an A.K. Waters, to hold your hands up when you feel like your losing the will to fight.  God knows the mission in your life, so do not lose hope! Your not meant to fight this battle alone!

Life Application

• What is it that your facing today?
• Is is time to call some reinforcement in?
• Pick up the phone and call that person that comes to mind that you can share what is going on.

If this ministered to you today or you know of someone who needs this, please help me share it to your friends and love ones.   Leave a comment if you’re needing prayer.  It would bring me so much joy to come alongside and be praying for you!

God bless you!

Carrier’s of Hope

Breathing Hope one Life at a Time

 

 

 

On September 21, 2018September 21, 2018 By Carrier's of HopeIn Battle, Fear, Hardship, StrengthLeave a comment

Beware of the Signs…

Don’t you just love it when something is being exposed in your life that you never saw the signs?  There were never any inclination that it was coming your way so that you can prepare for it.   Like an “Stay Back” or “Road Work Ahead , so that you can chose to go different route.  If only things in life where that easy right?

My husband and I host a small group in our home for relationships every week.  We have covered this curriculum for many years.  Then the organization implemented a new topic that I had never heard or prepared for prior to that evening.  The topic was,  “Destructive Husbands and Wives.”  It went through things that can occur in a marriage that can be very toxic to a relationship.

It went over 3 types of past hurts: Emotional, Relationships and Parental Hurts that you feel you brought into the relationship.  It went on to cover different behaviors that occur like Criticism, Control, Dominance and Checking Out.  There I was being a sponge and writing away, so I can be ready for recap.  I love our small group because they are so good about engaging and being so personable.

I feel my husband and I have a way of creating a safe environment for open discussion.  So I probe the question “Which past hurt do you feel you have brought into the relationship that has affected it?”  Everyone went around the room and shared and that’s when the impact came without even seeing the signs ahead. It was as if I was seeing a movie being played right in front of me.

The scenario was that I was sitting at a dining room table and my siblings and I were there and I heard the words of my stepdad, “Don’t talk to me I am not your father”.  My father could go months without speaking to me.  SIx months had gone by and not one word was spoken to me.  Then I saw my husband and children when they would be upset and not speak to me.

This is where the behavior of “Checking Out” came full circle.  When someone is checked out they are not present. There physical body is there but they are not engaged.  That is when I heard God say to me,  “Sandy, when life gets overwheming or you begin processing things, this is what you do”.  “You become disengaged and close your heart towards your loved ones and me”. “This stems from what your dad did to you growing up”.

The hazard lights of my heart were flashing and my heart rate began to rise.  This is called, “Emotional Abandonment”  This is when someone shuts their emotions and feelings off because of what they are experiencing.  They abandon the situation that is going on.  This is when I saw how my dad emotionally abandoned me many times in my life.

This is pretty raw and I knew had to share it with our group.  God has called me to be real about my life experiences.  This is why I am sharing this with you as well.  I have been completely undone by this topic. I knew God orchestrated this setup for me.  Maybe throughout my life I avoided the signs, or maybe I saw them but chose a different route so I did not have to face the pain of that abandonment.  But God knew it was the time.

Ecclesiastes 3 says, “There is a time for everything and a season, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and time to build, a time to tear and time to mend.  But through it all God is there every step of the way for us.  God shows up and redirects the route and does not allow you to avoid the signs any longer.

Life Application

• Have you seen the signs?
• Have you avoided them all together?
• What past hurts are you experiencing?
• What seems to be the ongoing behavior?

IF you feel this ministered to you or know of someone who could use some encouragement, help me spread the word.  Help me be a “Carrier of Hope” for those God is trying to reach.  To Breath Hope One Life at a Time!

God Bless You!

Carrier’s of Hope

 

 

On September 19, 2018 By Carrier's of HopeIn Abandonment, Emotions, Hardness of Heart, Marriage, WithdrawalLeave a comment