Name one obstacle you are facing. Imagine if you blink and it disappears; then what could happen in your life?

Oftentimes, we hold onto obstacles or challenges in our life to be the excuse or reason “why” we can’t move forward, we might say things like “if I didn’t have (insert challenge), then I would be (insert our desires, dreams or goals)”. 

For example, “If I didn’t have my kids unhealthy snacks in my pantry, then I would be at my ideal weight”, “If I had more time in my day, then I would work out and be in better shape”, “If I made more money, we could afford a nice vacation”, “If my boss didn’t have it in for me, then I would get that promotion”....I’m sure you could add several more.

Well given my name ‘light warrior’ (one who fights to keep the light shining within and reflecting out of us), I’m here to shake up this mindset, my friends! And I’m going to go on a holy rant, so brace yourself!

See, I believe in the depths of my heart the challenges we are facing now are purposely crafted to either keep us held back by believing the lies of the enemy OR they are there to help us grow in our courage to fight for a different outcome. If we choose to accept the latter, with hard work , faith, trust in God, and maybe with the help of some divine intervention, we can strengthen our mental and spiritual fitness to find our breakthroughs!

What if you allowed yourself to be a dreamer and asked yourself, If I didn’t have this challenge in front of me, then what?

• What choices would I make instead?  

• What actions would I take? 

• In what ways would I act more on faith or what my gut is telling me than my fears?  

• How would I approach my relationships, my calendar, my choices, my thoughts, my actions without this challenge?

• What are these challenges here to teach me?

After contemplating these questions, I started telling the devil to “get back”! I started surrendering my will and my bull-headed approaches and I started asking God to take my burdens from me.  I surrendered… I humbled myself and let “His Will” be done in my life.  I asked God to show me what I need to work on and heal before focusing on what everyone else should do to change! Whew, all of that was hard but it’s exactly what scripture says, we have to die to ourselves!

What I noticed, and believe me, I’m still a work in progress, but it started focusing my thoughts on the desires of my heart, the hope, the joy, and I started to be more open to receiving the promises God gives us. Then I started focusing on my actions, by recreating mental and physical habits that were different and growth-minded. I started focusing on things I could change within me that reframed my thinking and planted more seeds of love in my heart. 

Meditating on those things and reducing the noise of everything else. I stopped having the victim mentality thinking everyone was against me or that my challenges were just too hard to overcome, and I realized there’s really only one true enemy and it’s not the people in our lives and that devil was not going to wreak havoc in my life ANYMORE! 

I started praying daily, hourly, whenever I could! I prayed for love, protection and strength in my marriage, over my daughter, in my career, and for my family. I worshiped every minute I could; I blasted my Christian music in my Air Pods or in my car every moment I had the chance. I immersed myself in my faith because it’s the only thing I could really and truly trust. 

I’m not out of the darkness entirely, there are days that are easier than others. I’m not 100% stable at letting go of the excuses, but I’m learning and I’m growing each day in this journey of new thinking and I’m not letting my challenges take me down and debilitate me!  I made a choice, that I am no longer willing to let those thoughts destroy me or keep me in fear. I’m standing firm against them, strengthening my inner self day by day to become a better version of me. Rewarding myself for the small victories and giving myself grace for the times when I mess up or fall flat on my face. 

Practicing to forgive people quicker, assuming the best in others, challenging and recreating the stories I tell myself and renewing my heart and mind continuously. 

These challenges are hard, they are grueling and relentless but they are also so rewarding when we can conquer them one by one. 

When I can see past them and believe that “If it’s not good, then He’s not done yet” (can I get an AMEN?!) These practices help me continue the fight, and I hope they encourage you too.

Fight for your soul, fight for your family, fight for your legacy! We cannot let these challenges defeat us nor let the enemy win…we were meant to make God famous and give HIM the glory to the very end of our days, so keep on going my good and faithful servant, keep on going. 

I believe in you! In Jesus’ name I pray for all the blessings and perseverance of faith for you and your family that God protects you and gives you the strength to fight for the light to shine within you so the work can see your brightness, Amen.

All the best,

Marci