By Gina Caswell Kelly
My delightful dog, Trip, and I go walking early nearly every morning. My alarm goes off at 4:30 and we dash eagerly out of bed to begin our refreshing jog/walk! Ooorrr, my alarm goes off at 4:30 and we lay there and check the weather and decide slowly to go ahead and commit to the walk. Every single day, I have to decide to commit to it. No one is making me. It would be very easy to just continue to lie there sleeping peacefully. It is up to me to make the choice. Every single day. Fortunately, most days I do hop up pretty quickly and make that commitment for better health. Trip just kind of goes along with whatever I decide. He is not a good influence on me, as he lies there with one eye open hoping I will decide to get back in bed.
This is how life is. We have to commit every single day to doing what we are called to do. To doing that for which we were created. I have a very sweet friend who is struggling in a few ways. She will occasionally share with me her feelings and her successes and her failures. We talk often about how you can’t just say “I am going to do this for the rest of my life.” That would be too overwhelming. But you can say, “Today, I am going to choose to do what God has called me to do. Today I am going to stay away from what harms me and lean into what is good for me.” It is an every day choice. Sometimes it is more like minute to minute.
As children of God, we are blessed to not be having to fight our battles on our own. We are blessed that we have a Holy Spirit living in us that wants the best for us and can give us the strength we need to fight another day. Our God is committed to our good. He created us for great things and He gives us the tools for that for which we were created. No battle is fought alone or unarmed. This is a promise of God. He says in His Word, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” I love that word – forsake. Actually, I love not being forsaken. On earth, we have many people in our lives who do forsake us. They don’t always stick around or treat us how we deserve to be treated. But we know that with God, we will never be forsaken. He promises to carry us all the way through. Oh how much hope that thought gives us!
As you live your life and face your struggles, recognize that it is a day to day struggle. Just commit today to following God and doing what He has place in front of you to do. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Live today, and then get up again tomorrow and commit once again. The wonderful Holy Spirit is there to strengthen you, if you have given your life to Jesus. Rest in Him and the strength He gives for today. It will make a difference!
