The prompt tonight is FIGHT. {Five Minute Friday is back, yay!} I was rolling it around on my tongue, waiting for more words, coherent thoughts, to follow. And truthfully, I was just about to bow out when my seven year old nephew shouted from upstairs. “Hey! Fight and light rhyme!” And my mom laughed and said that should be your first sentence. And I laughed with her-then sat up in the leather chair {BECAUSE MY MOM HAS ONE TOO} and started to write.
Fight. And light. {Hey, that rhymes!}
Friends, I can’t lie. These beginning weeks of this deployment have been difficult and I have not worn them well. I am anxious, impatient, and short-tempered. A vague sense of foreboding hovers around me like a grey, cartoon-ish rain cloud.
I know those feelings are wrong. {Especially the foreboding}. And I am ever grateful for the Psalms, a Biblical crying out in the dark.
A fight for the Light.
Psalm 18:1 … In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears … {and further along, v. 28 …} For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
Psalm 27:1-2 … The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 130 … Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
More than watchmen for the morning … waiting for the Light.
And being reformed, of course, I know my fight is futile without the grace of a Saviour who has mercy on my flailings … Him, the Light of the world; me, a blackened sinner.
Through His Word, I cry. In His Word I hope.
{Editor’s note: I realize that your dark days may look nothing like mine. May be infinitely harder than I can ever imagine. I know that sometimes what we KNOW as Christians seems to be drowning under the treachery of how we FEEL in the midst of darkness. And while it may seem simple, or trite even … it is still truth. You have hope in His Word. There is Light in the dark. I pray you see it.}
~M.
This is beautiful. My father-in-law and brother-in-law were both career Air Force and I so remember the constant moves, the adjustments for them and their children. I pray God will shine that Light for you and give you the strength you need!
Thanks for stopping by. And for the prayers. Definitely for the prayers.
“For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.”
I love this as my word for this year is DWELL and I am wanting to dwell in His word even more. Thy word is a lamp (light) unto my path. I love your writing and rhyming! Happy Friday!
Oh I almost included this one as well … it was getting lengthy though. My word is Light … so it will come up again. Thanks for visiting:)
Saying a prayer for you! Thankful for His light which surrounds you, and the fight that He put in you to keep going! Visiting from the 5MF!
Oh thank you. Love the FMF crew and the prayers of so many sisters in Christ.
I just hopped over from Lisa-Jo’s place. I CANNOT imagine what you must go through. The range and depths of emotions must be unbearable at times. I pray your husband will be home soon and that the cloud of heaviness and dread leave you now in Jesus’ Name. (((hugs))) Love, Beth
Thank you. I accept the hugs:) And I am so thankful for the prayers…
Oh man, sometimes words fail and then they come in a rush of emotion. Praying for this time of deployment. I’m thankful that the absence isn’t forever. In the last year, I have worked with a friend in the special forces for research for my new book that comes out in February. More than ever before, I gained a better understanding of the life of a military family, the sacrifice, the dedication, and the calling. Hang in there!
Oh I am hanging:) I do have wonderful community, thank goodness … I’d be lost without them. And Jesus. I would be lost without Jesus.
This is lovely! I just said a prayer for you. The Psalms are a great place to find peace within the cry of our hearts. God Bless you!
Thank you so much for the prayers. They are often the thing that keeps me afloat on hard days.
Love you, Molly! Praying for you and Pete. And the kiddos. Glad you are with your mom and family. Thanks for being real.
Love you too. Wish we could hang out IRL soon! I have sort of lost count of all your kiddos!
Thank you for your family’s service. Hard days I’m sure, but I pray you feel God’s peace and comfort in these days. I am the daughter of a Marine and have great admiration for our military and their families. Visiting from FMF today.
Well thank you for what your family has sacrificed! It isn’t easy for anyone, I think. Thanks for leaving some comment love! And for the prayers …
This was so beautiful to read! Praying for you!!
Oh thank you. And thank you for the prayers. They truly are cherished.
Awesome. Thank you. Praying for you guys often.
Love you.
Thank you, Molly. Praying for you, and for head-truth to be a comfort in your heart.
Yes! Right – head truth and heart knowledge are worlds apart some days, aren’t they? Thankful for a Savior standing in the gap.
Beautiful, Molly! Thanks for sharing your heart and your fight. Praying for you, right now.
Thank you friend. So glad we are keeping up …
I love the Psalms too! They just speak the words of my heart sometimes. I love the honestly they have and the encouragement they bring. Loved your post!
Thanks. I love that we can cry out using the very words He’s given us. It’s balm for this emotional girl:)
I don’t have anyone deployed and that still spoke to me. Thank you for highlighting those passages for me! God bless you, and I will be praying for you.
So grateful for your prayers.
Sending my gratitude for your family’s service and sacrifice. God bless.
Thank you. It means more than you know …