Victory Story

Victory Story

The Ultimate Cardiac Monitor

by Linda Germain

A story about  HOW  to achieve

 VICTORY!

I’ve put it off as long as I can…again.

Here I sit,

surrounded

by intimidating paper mountains

that have risen up

out of a whole army of little mole hills of my history--

all strung together

and

stored in cardboard boxes.

I can mix enough metaphors about this situation

to make myself grasp for reasons

to abandon

the project

in favor of a better time.

Perhaps I can do it tomorrow,

or

next week,

or some other

make - believe future rendezvous 

with this excess baggage.

I am an organized person, a believer in the Boy Scout motto to always be prepared, but this monster
that holds me captive  - seems to have a life of its own. It renders me helpless in my determination to manage and systemize this mess of paper minutia.

One afternoon spent going through old pictures, documents, and keepsakes reduces me to pain almost too deep to bear.

All the imaginary beast has to do is whisper,

“Remember the bad. Forget the good.

You could have done things differently.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?”

The smug intimidating ogre wins again.

I repack and shove it back into space I need.

Every time I begin again,

it’s as if

a strange multiplication has taken place in the interim.

Paper-offspring

have spawned in the dark

to wait patiently

for the next battle with me

and

my resolve to take control.

I wander away for a much needed cup of coffee.

Other chores call to me of their great importance.

It seems imperative to sweep leaves from the porch
or replace the oven light bulb
or put a drop of oil on that squeaky back door.
Then it’s time for lunch. (After all, how can a person work with no fuel?)

The cats want in, or out.

The phone rings.

Clean clothes need to be folded.

Pretty soon it’s time to cook supper.

By the time dishes are washed, night is creeping in

with a well rehearsed and subtle message for me

to just do it tomorrow…when I have rested and feel fresh.

In the wee hours,

as I toss and turn

with

debilitating dread

of facing

material evidence

that generates nearly unbearable heartache and regret,

it occurs to me

there is an answer.


“What does God have to do, " I say out loud to the darkness,

“hit me upside the head with a spiritual two by four?”

I pray for wisdom,

and

smile at the picture He brings to my mind

of

my good friend

Beth McLendon

and the perfectly wonderful thing

she does every morning.

She puts on the whole armor of God.

I don’t mean just by resolve. 

She actually goes through the motions as she speaks the verse.

I fall into peaceful sleep

thinking about her lovely routine.

When the new day dawns,

I can hardly wait

to confront

my raggedy old enemy

bent on making me sad.

Like my friend, I speak with certainty as I wrap truth around my waist. I put on the breastplate of righteousness and then slip my feet into the gospel of peace.

As I approach the herculean paper task before me,

I am dressed to the nines-

-including the helmet of salvation.

I hold my shield of faith aloft

and

slash through the next few hours

with the

Sword of the Lord…His Word.

The trash bag fills quickly

as I take a stand

against the fiery darts of memory

that the evil one flings

to pierce my tender heart.

I sing praise songs

as I work

with purpose and confidence

through years of accumulation.

After the large pile of rubbish drops in the bin at the curb, the weight of the world seems to lift off and evaporate.


How could pounds of paper have such power to push me to a place where I question the absolute healing of my once broken heart?

Forgiveness is complete and I have moved on and am filled with joy and peace.

In fact,

I never even think about the past

until it’s time

to consider a new plan to clean out the boxes

of what I seem to be convinced

is

a representation of my life.

Faced with

one last stinging ambush

from useless scraps of waste,

my plea for help

triggers

God’s tiny nudge in the night

to remind me

there is nothing to fear

from a toothless paper-monster.

My serious heart protector is on duty at all times.

I am safe.

Beth Says

Next, I present to you

two songs

that I listen to

when

I need to deal with a challenge.

-

And take note:

Here are Links

to all our Full Armor of God Prayers

A Song

of

Strength and Victory

When I need to 

go into

Battle

I heard someone once say,

"When you encounter a giant,

you just look him in the knees and say,

' I am going to be victorious!'"

Here are links to all our

Champion pages 

Thank you for visiting our Victory Story page!