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He kept rehearsing it over and over in his head. He just couldn't seem to shake the tragic event. The beads of sweat just continued to cascade onto the dusty carpet leaving an impression for years to come. All he wanted to do was just stand up in angry exclamation and scream. But he knew he couldn't, he didn't want to disturb those in the congregation around him.
He used to frequent the neighborhood bars and find friendship in the shadows of those women who walked the streets. He knew the bartenders by name, he could give directions to each bar in the town and then even to some that were across the bridge into the next little village where most of the county drunks would find their homes in the solace of cardboard havens. But, he was done with that now, or so he thought.
He had awoken earlier this morning in a startled cold sweat. His demons had come to haunt him and they weren't letting up at all. This time they wanted his blood, his soul. This wasn't any old regular kind of guilt, this was the kind that if one gave in there would be no return. And somehow as he was putting his shoes on and heading out the door to head to church, he knew a battle was coming. He didn't expect this.
He decided to drop to his knees on that dusty old carpet and as his knees hit the floor a cloud of dust covered him from head to toe, but he was ready. He cried and cried and anguished as one in a garden and wouldn't give up until the battled was finished. He knew he just couldn't give up, he didn't want that life anymore. But they wanted him back, they wouldn't let him go without a fight.
Finally, the agony was over. The victory won. The hallelujah chorus being sung as he walked out of that building with an old scar, and now and old wound that was closed. He was stronger now for the ensuing battles to come!
THEME: Jesus travailed(agonized, labored) in the Garden when he prayed before he ascended Calvary. It wasn't an easy fight what was to come for him, and he understands that for us. But, for us to be victorious, we must not only pray our 15 minutes, but we must labor in prayer. Labor by definition, isn't only physical, in fact in the dictionary one of the definitions includes the mental toil and anguish as a description. Prayer is supposed to be life-changing, not convenient!!! Pray on, fellow adventurers!!
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