Love...

It began as it usually does I imagine...with love, with heat, with lust and longing warring for attention. There is no such thing as too much time spent in each others company, you are far too enamoured to notice the little things, the idiosyncrasies that add up to giant red coloured signposts alerting your psyche to danger.

It begins with jokes...about your looks or something you did to liven up your appearance.

It begins with letdowns, setdowns and beat downs that leave you reeling in shock, staggering to find your footing in suddenly unfamiliar setting. Where the ground was once smooth beneath your feet, abruptly it becomes rife with sinkholes, raging rivers, molten lava and an arctic winter wind that freezes you to the marrow.

It begins with blame...with gaslighting, turning the spotlight on you despite a lack of any wrongdoing. Like a consummate magician they produce fuel out of thin air, wrangle rabbits out of hats in a show of theatrics. It begins with neglect, abandonment and betrayal...setting your mind up to believe there is something wrong with you, when in fact they lack the ability to think of anyone but themselves and in fulfilling any pleasure they see fit to engage in. Flirting, staring, stalking, gathering indecent amounts of online sidepieces and phone friend favourites.

It begins and ends with intensity...passionately and destructively.

This morning dear friends I sit with lamplight softly glowing and a hot steaming cup of heaven in my hand and ponder. How many feel these things, think these thoughts, run down the rabbit hole only to find the same result as the morning before...stark truth....the person you love not only is a monster of epic proportions, capable of swallowing you whole in one bite, they do not love...they use.

I wonder how many know the agony of pouring your energy, your life, your love into someone who has about the same substance as dandelion fluff that blows off in the slightest breeze..bent on pushing, prodding, kicking you into the depths no matter how you communicate, forgive, love and cherish.

Oh my friends, the sad truth is that is exactly what they gobble up, grasp with both hands and inhale, absorb...filling the never-ending black hole resident within their soul, their spirit, their heart.

These past few days I have struggled with emotions with no clear labels...no warning signs...no instructions...just emotions rising to the surface as I drive the back country roads into war zones straight out of a movie. Bleak landscapes, smoke rising everywhere you gaze, animals on the move away from the rapidly encroaching hungry fire and tired men and women fighting to gain some control over an uncontrollable entity. Beating their collective heads, hands and bodies against an immovable wall...getting up everyday to continue the fight and cheering with each win.

I am inspired and yet the allegory is not lost on me...the irony and message is not lost on me. They fight for purchase, fight for ground burnt or in danger of burning and fall down and get back up to do it again, and again.

Dear treasures...are you fighting a battle that cannot be won? Are you falling, getting back up and trying again...only to see the ground gained fall away behind you?

I look up...I look to the heavens and see clear blue sky above this ground...I look around me at the sooty tired faces smiling in the face of danger and I think to myself that God is good.

'He's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.' Ephesians 3:20.

'He is able to save you to the uttermost.' Hebrews 7:25.

God has placed an indefatigable spirit within each of our hearts, our spirits...that in the face of all odds we fight, we stand....

God has given each of us the heart of a warrior...

I cling to that today as I ready to begin another day, not knowing what it will bring.

Yesterday, knowing full well we were driving a truck with sh*t tires I did a quick check around the truck. One flat, 6 laughing firefighters doing a damn good impression of the indy 500 pit crew, and we were on our way once more with a warning that the spare didn't look too healthy.

Watched over...God's grace never ceases to amaze me.

With a groan and a laugh at life I observed the spare begin to lose air...75 kms out on the Holy Cross, with a wing and a prayer I took over driving and began the rally race out to beat the air escaping. We made it to Lejac where kind gentlemen at the shop filled our tire.

Taken care of...watched over...

My friends...dear treasures...rest, rest in one who never leaves nor forsakes.

This was the lesson yesterday, the take away for me....no matter what life brings, no matter the hardships big or small...we are watched over, loved and strengthened with His grace and comfort and loving kindness.

I take that with me today and I pray the same for you. That you walk tall and stand proud...

May you lift your head to the skies and see God's goodness.

May you know your worth and stand for you...one step at a time...one moment, one hour, one day...joy comes in the morning my friends.