::peace::

there is a treacherous journey before you. one which takes oh so much of who you are.

one which takes a toll not just on your mind, but also your heart, as well as your very soul.

it threatens death, of all those who invest in its time. it promises brokenness. it guarantees pain. and it requires strength beyond your own capacities. 

but when its presence reveals itself, it is undeniable, rather by shock over any other factor.

for it comes silently, unknowingly, creeping deeper and deeper within you, until it overtakes.

and suddenly, you find yourself standing. looking back upon this journey, only to realize you have graced the top of the mountain. 

and as you stand the lenses begin to unfog, your eyes adjust to your new surroundings, and finally, it comes into view.

the horizon now stands as your compass. pointing freedom every which way you turn. the world now at your fingertips. 

all that threatened death once before has vanished. the darkness and gloom that came with your inevitable death has since been conquered.

and now, in its place, are a vast array of lights and colors beautifully perfected from this new perspective atop the slopes, elegantly hanging from its canvas of the heavens. 

the picture before you is one which stuns you, stills you in the very moment as your eyes connect with it. 

it brings a moment of silence. a moment of unparalleled peace. 

and in this moment, all which was once hidden along the journey is now revealed in spectacular wonder before the very mountain you find yourself upon. 

the valley no longer becomes a symbol of death, but rather one of triumph.

for as you look back, you see as the pages of your journey begin to unravel before your very eyes.

the tears turn into strength. the pain to joy. the lies to truth. the despair to hope.

you find your body overwhelmed with this sense of peace as you discover that your death has ultimately turned into life.

And there you stand. Atop this mountain. Stunned in the realization:

YOU ARE VICTORIOUS.

the suffering ran its course. the tears were cried. the words thrown. the battle fought. and, not only did you get out alive, but you won. you won not through your own capabilities or wit or strength, but rather of One much greater than yourself. For it is only through Him that we are able to do immeasurably more than anything we could ever ask or imagine. For it is only through Him that we find our strength to get back up, our joy to defeat the pain, our truth to shatter the lies, our hope in moments of despair. For it is through Him, and Him alone that we RECLAIM our lives. 

"the LORD gives strength to His people, the LORD blesses His people with peace."

Psalm 29:11