Live!

Yesterday I was talking to one of the loves of my life: my dear and wise friend Mercy.

We were, as we do almost everyday, sharing the happenings of life over the phone.

One of the things I shared with her was this: Lately I feel as though I’ve been going through one battle after another. As I hobble away from one  battlefield – before I can even get a sip of water – another barrage befalls me.

It’s draining. Sometimes I feel I’m being put through a mill. One that grinds in the most brutal way.

And as my dear friend and I talked it clicked in my head – yes I was exhausted from fighting – but the particular battle I was engaged in yesterday was merely a distraction. A distraction from my life. A distraction from doing what I love. A distraction from buckling down and doing what I believe in my heart has been set before me to do.

As we spoke Mercy said: “I really believe you’ve been called Hannah.”

Like most people on similar journeys – I’m still working out what that “call” is about.

But as I battle I’m learning there are perhaps three main categories of fight:

– Some fights are meant to strengthen us and/or teach us things we didn’t know.

– Some fights are meant to distract us from the goal. Because as long as we’re fighting them and focusing all our energies in those fights we have little or no energy to do what we’ve been “called” to do.

– Some fights are just petty – real time wasters that must be ignored. Immediately.

King David in The Scriptures once prayed this to God: “Teach my hands to war.”

It’s important to know how to war. Sometimes I find myself hands flailing, bruised and beaten very near to death – but despite all my energies in the end all I am is tired and defeated.

But when you know how to war – oh well it’s one of those things that truly is a beautiful thing. And yet still, chances are that even the most skilled warriors will be bruised. Will get wounded. Will bleed- a lot. But in the end they are victorious.

It’s worthwhile investing in knowing how to war. On this I think roping God in like King David did is a wise move.

But even before you engage in battle it’s vital to know which fights to take up and which to not waste time on.

The fights that are merely a distraction can sometimes be the big ones. Sometimes they are the ones that steal your sleep – rob your peace and either cause you to starve from loss of appetite or cause you to binge on food in an attempt to numb the anxiety. Or you might use so many other things to distract you from the distraction.

What to do? Especially when the distraction must be dealt with and cannot be ignored or left unattended? You give it as little time as possible. And more than that you determine in your heart to not allow it to steal your joy. And then you continue to focus on what really matters.

Life happens. All the time. And usually when we say that we say it when the chips are down and we’re getting the bedonkers knocked out of us.

But life happening is a good thing. In fact it’s a wonderful thing.

How many people die not having had grabbed the opportunity to make a change? You are not one of those people. Simply because you are STILL here.

Life has happened to you – the choice is to embrace life or choose death. Everything that steals from you is death. Death of a dream. Death of passion. Death of hope… Dear friend I urge you to choose life.

Live!

The battles will all come. All three kinds. But you can be victorious. It’s completely out of place that you wouldn’t be.

Life has been set before you. Living it means focusing on its purpose in you.

Life awaits – will you embrace it?

 

Hannah Viviers is founder of Hannah Viviers Business Training and Author of mommy24.com.

You’re welcome to leave a comment or email Hannah directly at hannahviviers@yahoo.com