The words “endeavor to persevere” have been spoken in our home many times over the years. They come from a line in our favorite Clint Eastwood movie, The Outlaw Josie Wales. It is our family mantra to remind us to keep moving forward.  What other choice does one really have?  It is indeed difficult at times.  Life throws us curve-balls.  We are in the midst of re-watching a season of our delightful Downton Abbey.  One of our fictional characters is months past the death of a beloved one but she has stalled.  Those that care for her are encouraging her to return to the land of the living. Death, divorce, financial difficulty, sickness, loss of friendship, and on and on life beats on us.  So many challenges seek to come and rob us of our joy.

I have spoken of joy before.  I Choose Joy, the life verse of one I knew who was facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, forever changed my perspective on that word, joy, and the fact that emotion can be a choice.  It doesn’t always feel like a choice, though, does it?  It is so real and overwhelming at times, seeming like a sickness beyond our control to conquer.  But unlike the ailments that can temporarily or perpetually zap our health, our emotions can be dealt with head on and conquered.  It isn’t easy…but since quotes keep coming to mind today, I will share another, “I don’t need easy, I just need possible”, from Soul Surfer.  We all just need possible.  We need to know that if we choose to put one foot in front of the other, change will occur.  It will.  We just need to be motivated toward that change and also to understand that the change we seek may come in a different form than what we envisioned. We may not have an earthly being feeding encouragement into our lives but we have an Encourager Who gave us His word that He is on our side.

Today, I was asked whether fear motivates or paralyzes me. This was quite apropos given the thoughts on my mind this morning.  My responses was Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.  I shared that although I battle against those paralyzing moments that come to each of our lives, I try my best to choose to let fear motivate me.  A while back I determined my greatest fear to be that my epitaph would read, “She had good intentions.”  Life seemed to be filled with unfinished projects, incomplete aspirations, ideas not turned into actions. That thought no longer serves as a fear, per se,  in my life but as a motivator. I want so much to persevere, to keep moving forward.

This blog is one of those things.  It has been in the works for some time…in my head, on paper, in my heart.  Then it became clear a short while ago that this was something I was supposed to do in my life…a good intention that just had to be fulfilled.  I can honestly say that in this case both the encouragement of those who love me and prompting from the One Who loves me most has put me before you here today… to share my words, my heart, my passion, and even my challenges.

Life is a journey to be shared.  I have done great battle against that.  I had a long season of wanting my “Walden’s Pond”…a solitary place, a place to escape the hurts and sorrows that life had brought.  It is quite easy these days to create such a place. A post here and there on Facebook, some creativity on Pinterest, and occasional email sent can make one appear engaged in life but who, in reality, can be moving further and further away from “real” connections.

My dear pastor reminded me that we are meant for community.  So, not unlike my Downton character, I too had to choose to return to the “land of the living”…to get involved, become engaged.  Not just here, in the writing of this blog, but in the activities I then became a part of, the groups I chose to join, the friendships I sought to cultivate, and even in the love I poured into my husband and children.

Whatever circumstances are standing in your way, even if it is you, can be conquered.  For me personally, I have found that putting others before myself was the key.  I am a mom and a wife.  My greatest responsibility in those roles is providing them the best possible version of me in whatever season of life I am in.  Service was another key…involving myself in activities whose purpose was the benefit of others. There are so many ways to reach into the community and give of one’s self. If one is a parent of youngsters, being of great service to them is a primary and fleeting role but one worth pouring oneself into.  No, we are not meant to live a solitary existence.  We are also not meant to live in defeat.  Life is and will be difficult but determining each and every day to chase after the joy within it is such a worthwhile endeavor.