Dearly Beloved:
May God’s grace, peace, mercy and joy be ever upon you.
We all struggle. That’s a fact. Lord knows that I have my share – especially as of late. I am in a place where there are no fellow believers to converse with (at least not in the cell block I am in). As a Christian, it is very lonely here. I am surrounded by hatred and violence. Just today I saw five members of a gang savagely beat one of their own over a phone. One has to be constantly vigilant here. You can be attacked at any moment without warning and with little if any provocation. I am not a gang member which makes me an easy target. All of this has hurt my spirit. It is hard to stay positive and upbeat in this kind of environment. I haven’t been myself lately. Sometimes being in this harsh and unforgiving place, it seems that I cannot fight anymore. For 4+ years, I have been fighting for my freedom. Sometimes this struggle weighs on me and I get so tired.
I know that you can relate on some level; For we all have our struggles. I am here to tell you some great news. GOD can lift us up when we are low. Yes sir, He can. I have been praying fervently. I have been reading the Word faithfully and I have been praising the LORD daily. I can feel Him working on me. I know that I will overcome my struggles. For my GOD is greater than all of them. Hallelujah! Thank you, mighty Jesus! It is hard to be a Christian. Ours is the path of most resistance, not the least. The path we are on is meant to strengthen and temper us. As steel is forged in fire and water, so too is the Christian believer. What does not kill us, truly does make us stronger. The more we struggle, the tougher we get as long as we remain focused on the good LORD. It is not easy to struggle. Though my own suffering has built me up, it has not made the pain I must bear any easier. I am stronger, for sure, but I still feel every lash that life whips me with. The struggle never gets any easier, but by the grace of God, our tenacity and resolve improves, giving us the strength and courage to endure. As hard as this path that I am on is, I have been blessed with the God-given ability to smile every day.
All of us suffer. All of us struggle to one degree or another. I am here to tell you that you are not alone. The very act of living each day is a struggle in itself. Yes, we all struggle, but if you don’t know God, then you are lost right now and in danger of falling and succumbing to the trials you face. GOD + struggle = perseverance and that is what life is all about, isn’t it? It is about struggling and persevering. I don’t care how big your house is or how pretty your spouse is. It does not matter how much money you bank nor how high on the totem pole you rank. Weather you own boats, planes and fancy cars or spend a season as a cast member on Dancing With The Stars, you have struggles. We all do. No matter what your social and economical status is, you have struggles. We are meant to struggle. It is the only way we learn. Struggle leads to discovery and enlightenment.
I have learned so much from my struggles. I can tell you this: I never would have had the strength to endure all the things that I have gone through without my faith. I never would have learned the lessons that I have learned without looking at my situation through the eyes of Jesus. Can a non-believer thrive in the face of adversity? Yes, they can; but not in the same way a true believer can. With faith, we can overcome anything. Without faith, we can achieve earthly happiness, but not eternal joy; For faith is the substance of things hoped for. Yes, indeed. It feels good to tap into our natural, God-given strength and abilities, but It is truly marvelous when you discover you are not alone in your struggles. There is an all-powerful GOD that is greater than anything else in existence. When you accept and acknowledge that fact, the true beauty of life comes to light and suddenly you realize that there is meaning to all of the suffering that you have endured.
If you are not a believer, then you are probably thinking, “Yeah right. There is meaning to all the pain and misery in this world? What meaning could there be in being born with birth defects or losing the person you love most??” I used to feel the same way before GOD and I got close. I could not understand the meaning of struggle and strife. It would take me hours and hours to explain all that GOD has taught me about life and its meaning. Even if I did have that kind of time to teach you, I am not sure that I could. The best teacher is JESUS CHRIST and His gospels. All I can do is share my experiences and feelings with you in hopes that GOD will use them and me to inspire you. If you are tired of facing painful struggles and feeling like life is pointless beyond the material world, then it is time to come to the LORD. You do not have to struggle in vain any longer. You don’t have to feel shame and sadness anymore. You don’t have to wonder what the meaning of all of this is anymore. God loves you and so do I.
If you are ready to walk with us on the path of light, then please repeat the following prayer:
“Dear Jesus, I know that because of my sin I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose again so I could live with You. I want to stop living for myself and start living for You. I want Your peace in my life. I want forgiveness for my sins. Please come into my heart and change my life. I want to live with You forever. I want You to be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
If you said it and you meant it, then you are my brother or sister in CHRIST and I welcome you to the flock.
Please contact us and let us know you have accepted the LORD. We want to guide you on your journey and encourage you. You can go to our contact page or contact me directly at the address provided. It is okay to remain anonymous. To all of our readers, believers and non-believers alike, I want you to know that I LOVE you all so very much. May GOD bless and keep you! May you embrace and accept the LORD! May you overcome and learn from every struggle by looking at it through the eyes of JESUS! AMEN & AMEN!
Love in CHRIST,
Randall
(A man who’s daily struggles are overcome and learned from through his faith in GOD.)