Articles in SurvivalBlog are generally, focused on practical “How To” survivalist topics. I’ve been concerned more about my mental and emotional state lately. With so much negative news as of late, I’ve been focused on the practicality of managing my spirit as I work on practical things. I thought I’d share – this is where I stand.
There comes a time when you realize that there is nothing left to do but face the Evil and stand firm. You’re done with trying to convince people, especially people you dearly love, that the Evil is here now. You’ve reconciled yourself to the facts, hard facts, that Evil is afoot, and embraced even, by a large number of people around you. You stare at them in wonder that they can’t see the Evil that is parading in front of them, or that they purposefully refuse to see it, or they’re so distracted they can’t see it. You’re stunned that they continue eating, drinking, and being merry, as if they had not a care in the world. You watch them spending money on lavish vacations, petulantly complaining about things that won’t matter in eternity or when the Schumer Hits The Fan (SHTF). It’s as if you’ve become the alien on a strange planet. You begin to withdraw and just focus on the things in front of you – the things that do matter.
What’s going to matter in eternity is how I loved and cared for my family; how I treated other people. It’s not going to matter what I look like, what I own or don’t own, where I’ve been, my educational status, or any status symbol. None of that is going to matter. It’s going to boil down to: did I listen to God’s voice, and do what He asked me to do, even if I got some parts of it wrong. My heart’s intentions are going to dearly matter. My actions as I work out those intentions are going to matter. There is no “virtue signaling” involved. There is no one to impress. Others’ opinions matter not.
Many times in life, I took what I call a “small” stand. I call it small because compared to what we are now facing, it was small. That’s how it works. You take small stands for what you think is right, and slowly over time it becomes second nature. You take bigger, and more impactful, stands and you become intolerant of evil. A few simple examples are in order. When I was a very young mom, shopping with my children in a store, I found a few twenty dollars bills on the floor. Rather than pocket them, I showed my children what we do in such an instance, exhibiting that we do not take what is not ours to take. I looked around and there wasn’t anyone nearby. No one appeared to be looking for lost money. So, we took it up to the cashier and explained, giving her the cash to care for (it mattered not what she did with it).
Later, when I was a career woman, I was propositioned by a male manager. I turned him down in no uncertain terms and of course I was laid off shortly thereafter. I knew why, and trusted God to provide for us. He did. As I went through life, many more tests presented themselves – they were harder, more intense, anguishing, but I stood my ground. Painfully, tearfully, sometimes in righteous indignation, I stood my ground. The most recent example was that I refused the “clot-shot” and never looked back. I got over each hurdle, and the Lord has provided for me in ways I could not have imagined. Each time I took a stand, God came through for me, and my Faith grew. Not because I am anything special, but because the Lord Almighty is capable. There’s nothing too hard for Him. All I have to do is Stand.
When I see parents taking their children to “drag queen hour”, I get sick at my stomach. When I see videos of teachers who are purposefully indoctrinating children into any number of immoral doctrines, I can’t believe anyone has a child in public education anymore. I read recently that more than two million children have been withdrawn from the public education system. I asked myself why haven’t all of them been taken out? When I see public documents, evidence, pertaining to election fraud, child sex trafficking, government corruption, etc., I don’t understand how the government is still functioning.
When I see that large hospital systems have been quietly mutilating young children in the name of an insane ideology that children are born “gender fluid” and can one day decide which body parts they want to keep and which they want surgically removed or altered, I am outraged. What kind of people do these things? What sickness has taken over their hearts, minds, and hands that do the work? I’m in awe that any of us are still “holding our fire”. When I see churches teaching Marxist theology rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it makes me terribly sad. When I see our government, literally, provoking WWIII, destroying the global economy for the sake of an ideology that has no true scientific basis, using fear and propaganda to manipulate people, I’m just sure we are headed for very dark times.
I don’t know how dark it will get. I can only guess based on my knowledge of the history of the human race. People have done incredibly cruel and demonic things to other people throughout our entire existence. Why God hasn’t just said Enough!!, I don’t know. Perhaps He wants every single human being to have one last chance to repent before bringing forth the horses of the Apocalypse. In the meantime, as Francis Schaeffer, a Christian theologian, famously wrote, “How Should We Then Live?”
In my mind, it’s simple, but not easy. This is next level up from beans, bullets, and band-aids. It’s about a state of mind. It’s about walking in Peace while chaos swirls around us. It’s about believing that our Heavenly Father does indeed care about us, and that we aren’t just tossing about in a tiny boat in the middle of the sea with no help on the horizon. I couldn’t say that without having been rescued by Him time and time again, and personally witnessed His power.
When I pray, I start by thanking Him for everything I can think of first. Then, I begin with my requests. After that, I go about my day on this little farm, tending to the land and the animals. It’s as if Someone gave me a refreshing, fulfilling, sip of something, first thing in the morning that lasts the whole day. As each challenge presents itself, throughout each day, I take a moment and thank Him, then request help, then I keep moving forward. I’m not saying there’s any magic to that formula, it’s just what I’ve come to do.
Of course, I get slightly panicked from time to time. Don’t we all? As an example, I’ve had to have the siding on the house replaced. Underneath there was rot. I pretty much panicked over the increased costs, especially after just having had the roof replaced. I had to complain for a while, then I stopped myself. I went back to thanking Him, then asking Him to make this situation manageable for me. I know that He can actually heal the house – He’s that incredibly powerful. Remember, He invented “physics” and “gravity”, and with His very breath He holds the Universe together. No, I didn’t go out on the front lawn, waving my hands at the house, praying for healing! Although, that would’ve been a sight to behold. I just thanked Him, made my requests, and kept moving. As it turns out, the damage to the house is looking like something I can easily manage. I am so grateful. Financial stress, especially in these times, can be difficult to manage.
Following Christ is not always roses and butterflies. Nope. There are usually a lot of thorns involved, as Jesus will tell you Himself. What I’ve learned is that all I have to do is Stand Firm on His principles. He will give me the strength to endure it. I think we are afraid, sometimes, that something is going to be too hard to bear. And because of that fear, we refuse to move forward, and we are afraid to stand firm. No matter what is coming… No matter if everything is taken from me… I’m not going to comply with a godless ideology. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (I Corinthians 15:55)
I realize that a lot of people who read this blog do not profess Christianity, and I often think that they might dismiss my thoughts as not relevant to them. I have to ask, what do you gain by conforming to the world’s system? Comfort, for a time? What do you have to lose by standing your ground, refusing to comply with an unholy alliance of people committed to an ideology that takes away your very freedom? Your freedom to choose how you will live, Who you will worship, how you will raise your children?
No matter how you look at it, you lose, even when you go along to get along. And once you’ve complied, they take a little more from you, and then a little more, until there’s nothing left. Will you really be happy owning nothing? How about when they implant a little device in your head that manages your behavior, and a little device in your hand that gives you access to things you need? You could just kick back with the virtual reality glasses on and slip into a controlled environment where you don’t think or feel for yourself. How does that sound?
No matter what your spiritual condition, you are a spiritual being. You were born to think your own thoughts, make your own decisions, and choose your own actions. You can’t be anything else. You are a human being created by God. You need to own yourself. And in so doing, recognize that there is help, but it doesn’t come in the form of Things necessarily. It comes in the form of spiritual, mental, and emotional peace, with the strength to keep moving forward. I don’t make good decisions when I’m in a state of turmoil, fear, doubt, or anger. I make good decisions when I’m calm, humble, and willing to stand firm, come what may.
Brandon Smith’s recent article, reposted in SurvivalBlog, talked about how we must develop alternative systems within our states in order to survive the travesties our Federal government is thrusting upon us. I agree. But, we must have our hearts and minds right with God so that we are fearless rather than fearful, and at peace in the midst of chaos. I am firm on the fact that I’m not going to comply with godless edicts. I pray that God will fill me with His strength to continue. And that He will take me from this earth in His timing. May God be with us.