Written by Tina Kramer on August 26,2023
Have you ever played Capture the Flag? During camp I played this game with much enthusiasm. I was much younger then, and winning was very important. The object of the game was to capture the other team’s flag and run to your side of the field without getting tagged. If you were caught, you had to go to jail. At our camp, jail was a bench in the far corner of the field. The only way you could be released from jail was if someone from your team successfully ran across the field without getting tagged and reached the jail bench. Only then could you leave the jail and get back in the game.
Last Sunday as I was praying, a picture came to my mind. I was back at camp playing capture the flag in that large grassy field. As I looked across the field, I saw a bunch of people sitting on the bench. Somehow I knew that they didn’t need to be there, because someone had already run to the jail and set them free. I wanted to run to them and say, “ Get off the bench! You don’t need to be here anymore! You’ve been set free. Get back in the game!”
As I pondered this, I thought about the Christian life. There are many Christian women who are held captive to their fears. They think that God can’t use them because of their struggles. So they sit in defeat, feeling left out and useless.
Lightbulb moment: God can use you in spite of your struggles. In fact, God can turn those struggles into a blessing. How does He do this? Take, for instance, this blog. I am struggling with emotional issues, but instead of obsessing on my brokenness, I am choosing to be transparent and let God use my struggles to help others.
How about you? Have you been letting your fears keep you from living life to the max with Jesus? Do you feel like a prisoner to your phobias? Are you sitting on the bench, afraid to move and join the game?
Someone recently told me you’re either a victim, a survivor, or an overcomer. Ladies, it’s time to get off the bench! We have been letting our fears keep us in jail for too long!
Life is full of battles. I know that fear is crouching at the door waiting to pounce, but it does not need to be our master. We do not need to live a defeated life sitting on the bench. It’s time to get back into the game.
Maybe you’re thinking, I am having a hard time just getting out of the bed without having a major panic attack. You are not alone. I remember feeling the same way. It is a yucky place to be, but there is hope. Life may feel miserable, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
If you are in a bad place as you read this blog, may I encourage you to say this prayer with me:
Dear God,
I feel awful. I need your help. Give me the strength to move forward and do the next thing. I give you this day. I give you my messy life. You take control. You be the boss. I am trusting you for my healing. Thank you that you promise to never leave me or forsake me. Thank you that your Son, the Lord Jesus, died on the cross to set me free.
Next stop on the trail:
John 8:36. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
P.S. I chose to republish this earlier blog because the theme of freedom in Christ is similar to my previous blog.
Prayer Update
Sean’s shoulder is slowly making progress.
Tina had a positive heart evalution. In spite of having premature ventricular contractions, my heart is functioning well.
Photo by Tina Kramer at the Quitte Creek Nature Park, PA.
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