“What you need in life will be brought to you, but what you desire, you’ll have to go get. Much of what you cry for will not be brought to you.” My dear warrior,
Sometimes we get ourselves into such a mess that there seems to be no way out, no way to right the wrongs, no answer to our cries for help. No matter what we do, we cannot make it better. And sometimes we’re not sure if we messed it up, if it was already broken, or whose fault it was anymore—or if it’s anyone’s fault. In the midst of the chaos, sometimes we create our own theology of suffering to try to make sense of all that is going on. We develop our own strange ideas that result in a distorted view of God, spirituality and of our own lives in order to try to cope with difficult circumstances, rather than consulting the God who knows all.
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My dear warrior,
Warriors cannot be effective on the battlefield with a mind that is cast into turbulent thoughts. Neither can they stay strong or be their best if their minds are similarly chaotic in their day-to-day lives. A warrior knows he must allow himself a chance to rest and recharge. Mokuso is a Japanese word we use in Martial Sciences that simply means to still your thoughts. (moku meaning still or silent, and so, meaning thoughts). It is the word my instructor uses to tell me I must take a moment to clear my mind of all the cares and burdens of the week, to lay aside distractions and put away all things that would inhibit me from training well as a warrior, or being effective in battle.  “A man is as free as he chooses to make himself, never an atom freer.” My dear warrior,
If you find that your wings are easily clipped, and your flight is quickly taken from you by discouragements (whether big or small), this letter is for you. You are so good at letting yourself become heavy-laden, so good at taking on the burdens of the world, and becoming wounded by the circumstances of life, but you are not so good at laying your burdens down. Since you are likely very good at negative self-talk, at reprimanding yourself, at flogging yourself with disparaging running commentary in your mind, it seems I have been given the unique opportunity to encourage you back to life.  Earlier this week, I realized that I had an extremely important tool in my possession that I was carrying with me. As I was chatting with a new friend, I immediately knew why she was sharing her heartbreak with me: she desperately needed what I had. And I realized, I have shared this same tool over and over again -- how many more people are out there who are in absolute turmoil who need to know what I know?
"Be still, and know that I AM God" - Psalm 46:10 Scripture repeatedly tells us to "be still." Yet, in this fast-paced world, it can seem almost impossible to quiet your mind. It seems like you'd have to be a monk on some remote mountain top to get any kind of peace, and yet, even that seems like a foreign thought. But Warriors must know how to still their minds, how to silence the thoughts that rage through their heads, to calm their hearts. |
Check out Michele's new book, now available for purchase on Amazon!
Mere Humanity: Becoming a Mature Christian in an Immature World 
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