A week away can do wonders for perspective. It can also set you up for a huge let down as you reenter the real world. You know that planet. Where you walk in the door and you are met with a million requests, ninety-nine hundred of them requiring money. Or everyone wants a snack or a meal, and the kitchen never closes. You go back to running from one thing to the next in a matter of a nano second of entering your house. It’s a fact of life in this season of life. It’s better to laugh about it but some days it makes me want to cry. Especially when I’m sleep deprived.
The enemy always wants to take you out after you’ve rested and reconnected with your heavenly Father. I know this and yet I still find myself ill-prepared for the onslaught. This morning I am awakening to this reality. After a rough start, I’ve decided to fight back.
What about you? What are you facing this Monday morning? Are you prepared or have you been in denial? Were you caught unawares?
We really shouldn’t be surprised by attacks because we know that if we are walking alongside Jesus, the enemy will do everything in his power to get us to go to the left or the right instead of staying focused on what Jesus is asking us to do.
The past week in the Muskokas was fantastic. It was restful. One of the first times it has seemed so. Maybe it’s because the boys are older now. Maybe it was the cooler weather. Maybe it was changes in me. Whatever the reason, I felt rested. I felt challenged under the teaching at the conference. I felt like I could actually take what I learned, look at, study it. I felt challenged to Do.It.
There are days I feel like I play at being a Jesus follower. I’m tired of it. I want to live it out. Even if it’s inconvenient, irritating, or not on my schedule. That’s what I took away this week. There is no time to play at this. It’s time to live it.
So why am I surprised by distraction, sleep deprivation, impatience, sickness when I get home?
The answer is I shouldn’t be shocked. You shouldn’t be either after a time of reflection or serious study. Peter tells us to be on our guard because the enemy is prowling around, looking to devour us. (1 Peter 5:8)
This really isn’t the blog I’d thought I’d write upon returning home. I was hoping to be super encouraging. Maybe the things I learned will translate into an inspiring blog at some point. But today as I struggle, I’m writing this more for myself than for any reader. Sometimes putting into words what’s going on brings clarity for my limping brain. Writing I’m going to fight back makes me realize that that’s what I’ve got to do. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being the punching bag of the enemy. To quote a song from the 80’s, I’m not gonna take it anymore. What about you?