.
I wish you could see what I see.
A mom soldiering through unbelievable heartache, raising her children with grace and courage and a substantial dose of quirky humor to color life bright. While her husband is lauded as the conquerer, she remains invisible. The very bones and sinew holding it all together.
I wish you could see what I see.
A wife battling in prayer for the wounded, the wandering, the blind, and the hurtful. She keeps on loving and clinging and fighting though her very heart would lie in a thousand pieces if not physically contained within her chest by the hand of a Holy Comforter.
I wish you could see what I see.
A daughter clinging to life and wholeness when everything within her screams to just let go. Every day facing the demons, the memories, the choking fears and immobilizing pain. Every minute choosing to keep breathing, keep believing that God has a plan. That He hears. That He heals.
I wish you could see what I see.
Warriors. Defenders. Heroes.
Women who refuse to let evil win and cynicism reign. Women who choose life and love. Women who stand strong though feeling oh so weak. Women who labor in their grief, their silence, their suffocating isolation.
These are the mighty ones. Women of faith. Women of courage. Women I am honored to call friends.
David had friends like these. One named Shammah stood alone when all others ran from the fight. He stood tall and brave, planting his feet in a field none would say was worth fighting for. A plot of lentils. Not gold or diamonds, presidential or palatial. A simple square of earth. Dust and beans. A memorial to character, determination, and grit.
Like Shammah, there are those fighting day in and day out in their God-ordained battles. Do you see them?
These women wipe sleep from dark circles and glare at the Enemy. These Daughters of the King know they are covered before and behind in Holy Spirit armor and wisdom. They know nothing can come against them that their Heavenly Daddy and a little waterproof mascara can’t overcome.
They don’t feel as brave as these words make them sound. They feel small and afraid. Lonely. Tired. Trampled. But they don’t see what I see.
I wish they could.
I wish you would.
And if you do…maybe hold a mirror for the warrior princess you’re blessed to know. The one that inspires you to keep on keeping on because if they can you can too. She might not see today what you can see. And what are girlfriends for if not to check for green in pearly whites, background scope the new guys, and send Starbucks gift cards when arms are too short to give hugs?
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory. – 2 Samuel 23:8-12 ESV
Photo by 🐣 Luca Iaconelli 🦊 on Unsplash
Wow