Praise God for everything he has done in our lives. Praise him for the good times, and the bad. For both have made us what we are today.
We were, to the outside world week pathetic creatures that did not have the will to just "snap out of it", or "pull ourselves together". They did not nor could they ever understand the unseen fear and pain that had become a way of life and at times even comforting. But we could not open our heads and show them the hideous monster that was eating away at our very essence. And if we could the horrifying reality of it may have turned them to stone. The terrible fact that others can't see our affliction only added to the isolation, frustration, and hopelessness of our reality. In our anger we fought against God, we raged in our ignorance.
Then in his mercy he stepped in and used what the enemy intended for death and destruction, to his glory, to fulfill his will. He rescued us, each from our own self created hell, a hell Dante only wished he could have imagined. He kept us alive, though at times we longed for death. Until finally when the bottom was above us he lifted us up. Battered and wounded we were resurrected, now to become more than we ever dreamed.
All the things we learned in battle, both good and evil have brought us here and molded us in spite of ourselves, to become what he intended us to be. No longer sick pathetic creatures, we have found our core, our center.
We now understand and are in our element.
Now we are warriors, battle hardened veterans, survivors who have been tempered by fire. We lived in the valley of the shadow of death and now truly fearing no evil. We return there willingly to help others. Now we are guardians, Sentries who have the awesome responsibly to help and watch over those who now walk the valley.
Struggles there most certainly will be, but no longer the pain and misery, the fear and loneliness we did for so long call life. Together we will face what will come, together with God.
Now there is hope, and love, yes love. Love for God, love for family, love for others, and yes, finally at long last love for ourselves. Now we can rest, secure in the fact that we can trust, without worry of being hurt. We can give of ourselves, without fear of losing ourselves.
Our experience has been vast, but until now we had no strength or hope to share. Now from our weakness grows strength, from our fear hope, from our pain springs forth comfort and our misery gently fades.