Tuesday, September 26, 2017

steadfast

 I am preoccupied this morning with thoughts from yesterday. I told myself, and others, I wouldn't talk about it anymore. I didn't say I wouldn't be thinking about it. Now I'm wondering if I haven't got caught up in a tide that is dragging me out. That can happen to us all if we are not careful. If that is the case the best course of action is to just relax, don't fight it, and wait for the tide to come back in. That is quite a difficult thing to do when you feel something is being lost. The real problem with riding the tide out, is not knowing what the beach will look like when you get back. Time and tide have shaped the land. Violent storms also alter the landscape and I fear a storm is brewing. It has been for a while now.
 There are times that challenge our resolve, make us question ourselves and that is a healthy thing. All too often we opt for the quick fix, the easy way out. We seek a way to soften the blows of our enemies by surrendering a portion of ourselves. There are also times when we must remain steadfast. Steadfast, an interesting word sometimes confused with being stubborn. To be steadfast is to be dutiful. Being stubborn just means unwilling to change. The duty resides within our hearts and our souls. We must never surrender a portion of either to gain favor. If we set aside either one of those basic elements of humanity in favor of legislation, we will be lost. To state that another way, just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Sometimes you just have to remain steadfast. There are times when you just have to take the blows.
 How can we know when to remain steadfast and when to just surrender ? To remain steadfast is a duty we owe to ourselves and our God. Often stated as, giving up, to surrender is not quite the same action. To surrender is to submit to the authority of another. The litmus test for this resides in your heart. Are you willing to submit to the authority of another ? Are you willing to surrender a portion of your heart and soul to achieve the goal ? Are you willing to discard all those before you gained to satisfy your own desires ? Or, will you remain dutiful. It sounds cliché and often misunderstood but I believe in this, " For God and Country." It is not a pledge of blind allegiance but rather a solemn vow. For the things I believe in my heart to be just,  I will remain steadfast.    
 

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