Victory

I’m a broken record.  I get it.  Deal.

One of the wonderful things about participating in Home Communities is that I find myself, time and again, in a position of extraordinary privilege – seated across the room from someone who is willingly sharing their story.  The more times I sit in this magical place, the more convinced I become that this experience, this hearing and seeing and feeling the tale of another broken human, is about the closest we can get to understanding what God is trying to do in this place.  Listening, really listening here, I find myself feeling as close as I ever do to being in the center of His will.

Tonight I watched the eyes of a girl I don’t know especially well as she shared a story that was especially difficult for her to tell.  I watched her and heard her, her powerful spirit and her beautiful smile, and found myself once again completely baffled by the complexity of this life we’re in.  So often I look at people and forget to notice that they are more than the moments I’ve witnessed.  We’re all wandering around with our baggage and our scars, and each one of us will remain a total mystery to a huge percentage of the folks we’ll meet.  It’s comforting and terrifying, this knowing that we have all had to do our own overcoming, that each of us is breakable, that we have all returned from our own unimaginables.  It’s humbling to watch someone lay it all bare.

The word that kept floating into my mind tonight was victory.  This girl, with her complicated story and the darkness therein, she is God’s victory.  Every time she laughs her great big laugh, a battle has been won.  Worlds have been conquered.  With every step, she is a victory.

This week I’m resting in the knowledge that God doesn’t need me.  Favorite put it best: the Holy Spirit is alive and working in the world with or without us, but we’re being invited to come along for the ride.  I’m invited to witness the victories.  I don’t have to, heck, I can’t win the battle, but I can celebrate with someone when Jesus does.  I’m so wildly grateful for that today.

You are His victory.  Be triumphant today.

love.