Journey of the Heart ~♥~

There are so many wounded warriors in the body of Christ. We walk around bleeding, limping, and sometimes even taken out. The enemy knows just where you are vulnerable and the weapons to take you out. Sometimes he doesn't even have to keep attacking, just get you weak enough to self destruct. Then you react to every negative and even positive word. I had a difficult time with Preston's comments on my last post. My first thought was "who you talking about." Then I thought how kind, he is just being nice, but I know Preston is not a liar. The truth is, it has been said to me before. The truth is, I am not feeling much like a warrior these days nor taken to many spiritual depths. The truth is, I am a wounded warrior.

"I know, often, our conversations are "all over the map"... hehe, but I never forget where we went. The things you share at times amaze me for the spiritual depths they take me. Even, Envious at times, because The Spirit had not given to "me" such depth... of which I repented of course... but burdened too, that the enemy was able to bind your amazing expressiveness from the body (Church). Yet, in my prayers for my very good friend, there was ALWAYS a confidence... a peace, which surpasses all understanding. And so, I was thankful for what I had to wait to see. And here it is... Friends, get ready to be blessed by our Father, through this warrior... my friend... Brenda." Preston Pittman

The truth is, Preston sees what God sees in me, not what the enemy is saying, not what my flesh is saying. I became a wounded warrior because I was listening to the wrong source. The enemy tried to make me feel disqualified because of everything wrong with me. My flesh tried to disqualify me because I didn't have the strength to endure or mental ability to converse. To disqualify means "to deprive of a power, right, or privilege" Webster. By listening to the enemy and my flesh I was deprived of power, right, and privilege. The truth is, I am only qualified in Christ. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit I am able to do anything.

I realized persevering wasn't just about pushing through and writing in pain. I tried that...had a list of things I wanted to cover...had notes of many things I had already taught. I snuggled up with my laptop in bed. Propped up my arms on pillows...had hot packs on my neck, shoulders, and back. Got my Bible, notes, and Kleenexes on the other side of the bed. Nothing but words and goobledegook. If it didn't speak to me it wasn't going to speak to anyone else. So I learned, Perseverance was waiting on The Lord. Waiting on what He wanted me to share. So, dear friends, this morning it was about wounded warriors.

^"9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:9-14

Preston has started a Bible Study covering Colossians on our HeartCry blog. There is also a page on Facebook: Colossians.