A Picturesque Plant & an Ordinary Warrior

A brilliant drive on a two lane journey into the unknown of the country, just to visit a small piece of grass and battle some ants for a sandwich. Along the way we crest a hill to find, in the distance, a picturesque view of a home with a chimney billowing smoke. Thomas Kincade would be envious of this creation as the mountains shadow attempted to overtake the abode but somehow seemed unable.

Slowly, as we approached through the hillside roads the home grew, revealing additions and a pool. I was amazed at the way so much of this had been hidden. Closer & closer exposed more and more of what was turning out to be a massive estate. The road dipped and curved, taking it out of view completely for a moment.

As it brought me back around my anticipation was heightened, a large smoking stack appeared first, followed by a shallow, cement . . . pool? An aroma hit me like that forced me to second guess my reason for breathing, I had stumbled upon a sewage and water treatment plant.

Yes, I was disappointed, but it helps me to see how Christ should see me sometimes. The pride and indifference that finds its way in too easily if I am not completely engulfed in His Word & His character.  The beautiful thing is that He sees me as the painting because He painted it, and washed it clean.

Men, we cannot sit around, going to church, praying for meals and both hoping and pretending that this is leading our families spiritually to Christ. This is trash, this is us showing as a painting but actually just treating our sewage. Unfortunately this is normal.

We are warriors, fighters, and this is ingrained in us, this is ordinary.  We change from this mentality because it is difficult, because our nature is to fight but it is also to be lazy.  Without discipline and training, ease will defeat action every time.

We have to struggle to fight for His glory in our lives and our families.

Not pretending, not perfection, simply the fight that everything, everything is for His glory. This is what we need to make the new normal. We are warriors, and within the body this needs to be ordinary.

Ordinary Warriors.

I speak to myself here more than any other but I am currently being driven to fight for the Glory of Christ for men and their families