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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Escape (01/02/06)
The dream is always the same. I am sitting on a patio overlooking the ocean. My feet are propped up on the rail. Next to me is a stack of books waiting to be read. The only sounds I hear are the crashing waves as they pound against the shore and the cry of the seagulls soaring through the air.

It's at that moment that I always awake to the pounding on the bedroom door and the cries of four hungry children demanding breakfast. Is it any wonder that my greatest fantasy revolves around my escape from everyday life?

Yet when I look deeper at this dream, I realize that my desire to escape evolves from something much deeper than the stresses of everyday life. I am tired. I am emotionally drained. For four years I have been dealing with heartaches that have become too much to bear. I have been at the center of a war designed with one purpose in mind: to break my spirit and shatter my faith. At times despondency has crossed the lines and battles have been lost. It is always at those moments, though, that God whispers in my ear, "The war is not yet over. Take heart because I will not let you suffer more than I know you can handle. And when you do falter, I will be there to pick you up and carry you to victory."

It is at this point, when escape seems most appealing, that I always turn to my devoted mentor, friend, and confidante: Jesus Christ. For he also has been tested unmercifully and pushed to his limits. He knows my anguish because he experienced it as well. At Gethsemane Jesus told his disciples, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." (Matthew 26:38, NIV) Jesus then prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." (Matthew 26:39, NIV)
Jesus' emotional pain was overwhelming, but he knew that God would use that pain to glorify Him.

My troubles are far from over. There are still too many tears left to cry, but I am comforted by the knowledge that God will somehow use my tears to heal others. So while escape sounds tempting, I know I will not succumb. As Paul wrote in 1 Corintians 10:13, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (NIV)
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Andria Cook
01/15/06
You are right, we often find ourselves so overwhelmed in stress from our everday lives, and we do need to retreat to God.

Thanks for sharing this piece.