Fighting Giants with Light
Fighting Giants with Light
Amy had been trekking through the woods for quite some time now, and it seemed the unbearable journey would never end. She longed to go home, to see the familiar faces she loved, to taste comfort once again. She had lost everything she depended on, and everyday, it seemed she was losing more and more strength.
She started this journey just a year ago with a backpack full of hopes and dreams. For the first few months, she held on tightly to those dreams, thinking that if she could just reach them, everything would fix itself and the empty void in her heart would disappear. But the longer her dreams went unreached, the heavier they became, until finally she could bear them no more. She gave up and let go of her dreams, replacing the weight of her hopes with the weight of her fears, and she continued through the wilderness with this burden on her shoulders.
Forced to let go of the people she loved, her heart grew cold, and she built up walls around her so she could no longer feel pain. Little did she realize that while protecting herself from agony, she also prevented herself from giving and receiving love. The layers of her heart grew thicker until she became numb and calloused. Her legs grew weak, unable to sustain the weight she carried. She found herself crawling for miles, and each time she found something to cling to, a small rock from which to stand on, it was ripped from underneath her, and she fell on her face time and time again.
Amy began to feel vulnerable and weak, and she lived in constant defense. The smallest attack from others would send her in a fighting rage. With her shield in one hand and sword in the other, she began to hurt those around her, and she withdrew into her shell, afraid of her own anger. As she ran from those she loved, she found herself alone, fighting greater battles with bigger giants. Her life became a constant struggle, and she longed to go back to her former life. But with nowhere to turn, she was left to face the war before her.
Darkness hovered over her for months. Multiple times, she found herself on the same path that was all too familiar. She had seen these dark places before and was only walking in circles, wasting her time and energy. Her face and heart were now scarred by the battles she fought along the way. She no longer carried the youthful look of innocence and naiveté, but now bared the lines on her face that resembled loss and grief.
In the quiet moments, before she laid her head down to sleep, she could hear a still, small voice calling out to her. It knew her name and the disturbances in her heart, and it told her to surrender, to put down her shield and drop her sword. Unable to accept her weakness, she ignored the voice and kept fighting on her own strength. In her last attempt to prove her might, she found herself surrounded on all sides by the greatest of giants. She wanted nothing more than to run and hide, knowing this was a battle too big to fight.
Just as the giants came down upon her, threatening to take away everything she believed in, she fell to her knees and cried out for deliverance. When the voice answered, she looked up and found a clearing in the trees. For the first time in a year, she saw light come in through the dark clouds, shining down grace and mercy. She felt safe. For a moment, she put down her weapons and forgot to fight. Somehow the giants around her didn’t seem so big after all. Her cold stone heart began to soften. Although she could now feel the intensity of her pain, she knew the Light was protecting and guiding her to safety.
Amy continued her journey with more strength than ever. As long as she stayed in the Light, the giants remained at bay. It led her down a path she’d never been before, one she had avoided in the past because it required her to give up her baggage. From here on out, she could only rely on the Light to sustain her. But more importantly, it allowed her to walk again. It would be a long journey still, but at least now, she was not alone.
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