Daniel fast - Day 8

This past weekend my prayer to have the courage He gave David as he fought Goliath and the wisdom He gave Solomon kept stirring within my heart. Going on about my weekend, my family and I went to see the movie 'True Grit'.  After the movie I kept thinking about how much courage it took those people to do the things they did.  And that's when it happened... a feeling of a warm gush of water that had been poured over me...I couldn't contain my tears.

The Lord at that moment showed me that as those people portrayed in the movie had "true grit" or "courage", so did I and many others that I have known personally... 

This is "true grit": 

• The Pastor whose wife has left him yet continues on with the Lords work
• The Pastor who did not waiver while at the pulpit when a man tried to shoot him point blank (every bullet missed him)  
• The woman who forgives her husband for infedelity
• The mom who has no job and decides to leave an abusive husband to save her life and the lives of her children
• The person who's self-esteem has been shattered yet continues to press on
• The person who continues to serve the Lord even though "the church" family he has always known turned its back on him for financial gain
• The family from the city who moved to the country into a home with no heat except for the room they all shared; so when they awoke in the morning the toilet water was frozen solid.  The mom and child had to make their way to the neighbors house to borrow the bathroom... true story

These are all real people who live real lives and this list, that the Lord gave me, could go on and on.  Let me say at this time that I am not one to "spiritual-ize" every movie I see and I don't go around trying to see the portrait of Jesus in my tortilla or oatmeal.  But this movie did open my eyes to the strength and courage that is all around me and within me.  So the next time I feel weak or "yellow-bellied" I will try, with all my heart, not to give up but prevail in the name of Jesus because He is the One who has given me "True Grit"!