I love the story - of ROCKY
I love the story- of ROCKY
I was 8 years old watching the movie while punching my Dad’s arm, “Why won’t he hit him back Daddy?” A question for the ages.
I have loved Rocky ever since, the underdog who keeps swinging and somehow is still standing when the bell rings...somehow is still standing.
You say ‘somehow’ because Rocky is known for his bruised and swollen face and for going all 15 rounds, for me he has defined endurance and has given me the metaphor for my life. Keep swinging.
I have been beaten nearly to death by many opposers; shame and religion, debt and disease, mean girls, bully leaders, my own pride, failure, loneliness, despair and the swamp of sadness. I know the dizziness and disorientation, staggering around the ring blinded from the blows to the face, the mind, the heart. I know the months, the years of recovery from those blows. I know the familiar taste of blood in my mouth and the overwhelming reality of having no idea of how to swing back.
I also know when it happens, when the strength returns to my gut and clear focus returns to my eyes and I hear the roar of a Lion in my soul and a sudden power surges into my arms and I start to swing, and when I start to swing I don’t stop. I don’t stop. I don’t stop for the rest of my life I don’t stop, and I proclaim with a holy roar, “You. will. never. hit. me. there. again.” When Rocky finally started to swing, he won.
Rocky taught me how to do that, how to endure until you know where to punch.
My little girl pulled away to stare out the hospital window, she was numb with despair, we had just endured a failed spinal tap and I pulled away from God, ‘there is no way that love was in that room.’ I thought. We only continued breathing for the next few days, but not much else. I finally collapsed beneath the weight of despair and began to sink into the mire of the swamp when desperation convinced me to cry out to God. I grabbed my Bible and opened it wherever and read whatever, my eyes fell onto Psalm 18:30-33, “As for God, his way is perfect….he makes my feet like the feet of a deer.”
It happened. The dark hospital room became a Boxing Ring, I heard the bell and I could see my opponent, fear and despair. The power of God surged into my arms and I started swinging and swinging and swinging, and I am swinging still in this 20 year battle with disease. I swing with joy and authority and laughter and love, 2 decades and over 7000 days...I have learned to fight. We are still standing.
I am getting back up on my feet again right now after being nearly knocked out in the last decade. I can hear the crowd of witnesses calling me to get up. I can hear ‘Mick’ in my corner through the voice of the Holy Spirit coaching me on how to stand back up. I can feel the
orientation and confidence returning to my eyes, my heart, my fist. My opposers are waiting for me, and I know that Hell will shake when I stand back up, because when I do and when I start to swing again, I won’t stop until I have destroyed them the way Psalm 18 describes it…”I beat them as fine as dust.” I believe God’s promise to me that I will see the Opposers leaving the ring in disgrace. I may bleed, but I will win.
I have some stiff opposition coming in 2021- and I invite and welcome any of you who want to pray for me and cheer me on in these upcoming battles.
Boxing Ring #1- Mountainside Community Church in Boone, NC vs. Fear and Covid. This year Covid caused separation and isolation, I immediately sensed the Lord calling me to remain ‘willing’ (Luke…) to come close to people, especially young people. This year has been one of leaping unending obstacles, but by his grace we have remained active in ministry to our children’s ministry, student ministry, and adult ministry- mostly by traveling weekly to their homes. The Lord continually calls me to lift high his Shield of Faith and to keep fear crushed under my feet. I used lots of natural remedies weekly to strengthen my immune system, remain fervent in prayer and active in the lives of my community as they allow me. Please pray for The Church and all her Leaders to be empowered with wisdom, authority, protection, and deep enduring love. Pray for us to keep swinging with Holy accuracy.
Boxing Ring #2- The Story of God Music Theatre Production vs. Cynicism & the Impossible In 2012 I was commissioned by the leadership of Highland Christian Church in Asheville, NC to write a theatrical production of The Story of God, Genesis to Revelation. It started as a 4 month production with a cast of over 40, performed once to one church. In 2014, I felt compelled and chose to write it into a version that could be performed in 90 minutes by a cast of 8 performers, it was performed 62 times in 25 states including a run at a Professional Theatre in Branson, Missouri. I am compelled to write another version this year that could be performed by 4 in very small places, like a living room so that it could more easily travel into places and nations restricted by law or poverty. For those of you who are familiar with this production, my ongoing work for The Story of God is now chronicled under ilovethestory.com
Boxing Ring #3- My daughter, a disease and a treatment vs. Finances, Science & Distribution My daughter Annie has been battling MS since she was 6, she battled with the support of a supplement called Nutrasine. The Doctor that created and provided this supplement for her passed away in 2014. The Doctors widow gave my family permission to recreate this supplement and we were successful in the production of Nutrasine in December of 2016. However, we were unable to gain a Health Advocate or wider distribution. This year we must gain both as we once again raise funds for this critically important supplement. I cannot escape the importance of this burden for my daughter and maybe even a world battling a global pandemic.
If you want to follow this journey in 2021, I hope to write about stories that I love and the battles I am fighting each week. This week I encourage you to read Psalm 18 with me, it is really good.
