You’re Finished, Kid!

Isaiah 41:13 “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee.”

Discouragement is a tool of the devil. He knows when a person is feeling down and has his ways of utilizing those times to drive a weary soul even deeper into the ground. Those are the times when a child of God must rely heavily on the truth instead of on their feelings.

I was having one of those days recently. The holiday cheer had just about done me in and I was sure that I could not go on any longer. I had done everything I could do, said everything I could say, and used all the strength I could muster. I felt that I needed to get out of the house. So since we were low on food, I decided to go to the grocery store to restock the pantry and let my brain chill.

It was getting dark and the evening gloom wasn’t helping my mood. I grabbed a parking spot, dashed into the store, and starting booking it down the aisles. After filling my cart I looked for a short line at the register and started unloading my groceries. Depressing thoughts were still filling my mind when from out of nowhere I heard a raspy voice say,

Stopping dead in my tracks I nervously looked around and realized that the voice was coming from the checkout guy. Was he talking to me? I looked behind me and saw that I was the only person in line and there was no one else nearby. He was actually saying this out loud to no one in particular! I briefly thought about getting in another line. But since I already had half the cart unloaded I decided take my chances and stay.

The voice continued the tongue lashing that Mickey, Rocky Balboa’s trainer, gave him in Rocky III when the prize fighter was considering accepting a challenge from the brawler, “Clubber” Lang. Each word seemed to pound into my head the dismal thoughts I had been having about my own situation. I didn’t feel up to the task of life right now either. The enemy was too strong and I felt beaten down.

Suddenly I shook myself loose from the depressing thoughts. What was I thinking? Whether or not the guy was talking to me, I wondered if maybe Satan had intended for me to hear this. But I knew that his words were not meant for me to embrace. Even though I was tired and weak, there was no need to fear the challenges of life. God promises His children strength when they need it and He would hold my right hand and help me. He would never abandon me to struggle through life alone. He would help me accomplish what needed to be done.

The monologue reached an interlude as the cashier paused to make a comment about my asparagus and inform me how much I owed. I swiped my card, took the receipt, and headed out into the cold evening air.

As I made my way towards the exit, the raspy voice picked up where it had left off, “You’re finished, Kid!”

But I knew that was not the voice I needed to heed.

Love,

Mama