In the middle of counseling training a few weeks ago, one of my peers reflected on a piece of testimony I shared about my childhood abuse and it made me really think. She said, “You know what it’s like to go to war, and be free.” The truth behind her reflection resides in the experience and the outcome. Yes, I feel like my childhood was a battlefield where I ran in fear from monsters and predators who wanted to hurt me or those I loved. I lived in a state of fear and concern for my life and my mother’s life. I ran away several times thinking I could find refuge, but was pulled back time and time again to endure the unsafe environment. I went to war during my adolescence while battling the overwhelming pressure of sex and drugs and fought hard to resist it all. Then I faced the war of grief from losing someone to suicide that I cherished more than life itself. While I continued in the war of life, I searched for peace. I wanted to be free from the battlefield!! It was not until I attended Walk to Emmaus at 25 years old that I finally felt freedom. I realized that God had a plan for my life and it involved the battle I had faced previously, and the war I could continue to face in the future. You see, becoming a Christian did not give me the freedom. I became free when I accepted the truth that God was the general in the army I fought with and He was leading the war to victory. As I stayed on the battlefield enduring numerous toils and tremendous adversity, I remained free because I knew everything that happened was for a purpose, which also allowed me to honor my general.

It’s easy to quit and give up and let others fight the fight, right? We can walk away from adversity and accept the consequences with a broken heart or negative attitude. OR….we can persevere and pursue goodness and truth in the midst of the pain. Why are you here in this moment grieving? Why are you here broken-hearted? Why does it hurt so bad? These are reasonable questions from reasonable people. God knows you are hurting and He knows you can barely get by another day. This war is hard! I can tell you, though, that there is peace coming. There is a calm after the storm. Hebrews 12:1-2 says to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Keep breathing, keep standing, keep your head up and allow God to work alongside you, for you, and through you.

I pray that you can find freedom from whatever war you are facing today. I may not have experienced exactly what you are going through but I do know pain and suffering, something I can relate to in many ways. If you need a soldier to walk through the pain with you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Ginger Turner is the Founder and Director of Warriors for God Ministry. She has a Master’s Degree from Liberty University in Marriage and Family Therapy, is a Board Certified Mental Health Coach, and a Christian Life Coach. Ginger, her husband, and three children reside in the Hill Country of Texas where she teaches and counsels couples, young children, and teenagers. Her focus is on enriching marriages and families, suicide awareness, and coaching the community on Whole Body Wellness. Ginger loves the Lord and lives every day for Him, serving Him in whatever capacity He sets on her path.