LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD PT. 2

Okay, here I am back again this week to continue my essay about LRRH and going to war. Let’s begin by looking at where my reference to tribulation comes from. It’s found in the Holy Scripture, John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

When you have peace you have confidence, but you may have to fight for your peace as I said in my previous post. It’s not going to be a physical fight, but a mental and spiritual one. So, if you have to go to war, you need to know how beforehand, so that you're prepared. You want to be i the best possible place, spiritually, mentally, and physically. This way you can outlast your opponent.

To begin your preparation you want to first be aware of what might happen. That’s why I used the LRRH as an analogy, so that you can access your vulnerabilities and determine why you might be a little off guard when negative things pop up. Maybe you haven’t been conditioned to be tough, instead you’ve been socialized to be soft and tender. That’s good, but at the right time and in the right places with the right people. So, whatever you do when things get crazy, don’t panic. Panic is groundless fear that leads to anger. It can cause you to become emotional and do things that aren’t complimentary to what you are trying to achieve.

Instead, realize who you are and that you have all the power you need within you. When conflict comes up ask yourself if you’re in the right place. Am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing? Or, does my opponent have a point? You will not always be doing everything right, that’s normal, because you’re not perfect. That’s why the adversary can come after you. But if you’re taking the appropriate inventory of your self everyday, when difficulty comes up, you’ll be in a good position to resolve your inadequacies.


The next question for you may be, "Should I fight to resolve this conflict when I know I’m not 100% what I should be?" In most instances, you won’t have the luxury to choose if you fight or not, but if you do, take a step back and get yourself together. You should already know where your inadequacies lie, so take the steps necessary to resolve them as best you can. And don’t forget, it’s okay to admit when you’re wrong, and correct yourself with your opponent. Don’t ever be too proud to apologize and get things right.

The thing is that you may not always be able to apologize and get in good standing with your opponent. If that’s the case you have to recognize that you’re in a war. Tisk’, tisk’, tisk’, yes I said, a war.

Ladies, wars can go on for years. That’s why those who are the strongest and better equipped survive, and those who have the right backup, win. The thing is that both you and your opponent may be right from each of your perspectives. If that’s the case, the conflict maybe resolved in both your favors, and you still would have gone through a war to get to that point. Oh yeah!

So, during the war, what you want is backup, and the right backup. Not, me, not Oprah, not some author of some self help book. If you’re a Christian, you need God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit, to back you up. If you’re not Christian, I don’t know what to tell you, other than reach out to Him and become one with Him now.

So, in order to have God as your backup you have to be in right standing with Him. That just means that you acknowledge Him in all that you do. Not, that you have to be perfect, but that you strive to do His Will, because none of us are perfect. But, with God on your side, you have to be convinced to fight a clean fight to keep Him there. You cannot lie, cheat, or steal, and expect God to back you up, so keep a clean house and fight a clean fight even if you know your opponent is not. What they do is not your business.

Once you’ve realized that you cannot do this without God, then you have to get down on your knees, (that’s if you haven’t been all along) and ask Him what He wants you to do. If what you’re fighting for is righteous, then He wants you to stand and go through the battle. Don’t worry He’ll be with you as stated in the aforementioned scripture. He will let you know if He wants you to fight and He may even ask you to fight. Remember, whatever He asks you to do, DO IT! He’s trying to get something better to you, so what you have to give up is peanuts compared to what He’s got in store for you.

So, now that you know your direction, it’s okay if you don’t know every road its path is going to take. That's why you have to stay prayed up. You’re going to need to hear from God to know which way to go. Be prepared for a lot of pain along the way, especially in the beginning. Hang on because it gets better as you get better because you have God, remember.

Anyway, throughout the war things you never saw coming will easily be an issue. You will have to know what your focus is going in, so that you don’t get distracted by other things that ultimately cause you to give up. Know what it is that God wants you to accomplish. It may not be crystal clear at first, but know His voice and let Him guide you. If you can honestly say that you believe you will receive what it is that you’re asking for, then you’re on the right path, because no one is going to believe in your dream like you do. NO ONE Yes people will be with you for a time but as things get more and more difficult, they will have to be honest with themselves and you, that this not their fight, but yours. Don’t hold it against them, by then you should be strong enough to stand alone with God.

Okay so now you’ve identified your inadequacies and you’re in the process of eliminating them, because you’ve taken inventory of yourself and your circumstances. You’ve prayed and you know God wants you to fight for what’s right. And you know what you want out of the fight. The only other thing I can think of is the issue of day-to-day combat.

In combat, again you will get hurt. Yes, emotionally hurt, bruised, beat-up and all of that. Remember in the fairytale how LRRH fought her way to the hunter who eventually killed the wolf? Well, she got some bruises from that. However, you must remember, your opponent doesn’t care about you. You may have thought they would, you may think they should because you would, but they’re not you. And I see so many women/people get hung up on this because they don’t realize that their opponent is not them and they are motivated by other things.

This may take some time for you to get, but its okay, its okay. The main thing here is not to act on emotion. Remember when I was telling you about AV and how the woman jumped on her children’s father’s truck to do damage? Well that was an emotional move that cost her, not him. Don’t make any emotional moves. Although I say that, I know that most people do. Hopefully, yours will be minor and early enough in the war that it won’t cost you too much.

This is why in combat, you’re going to need someone that can be your 'sergeant at arms'. someone who can be there for you. This can be a little tricky because you have to pick someone who is definitely outside the box, a person who can be neutral when things get out of hand, because they will. This person needs to have good character. They should be someone who has had their share of wars themselves. More likely than not, they’re going to feel a little obligated to help you, maybe because no one was there to help them, but don’t be inconsiderate. Listen to them, which may be hard because you’re probably going to be in 'emotional mode', and you'll need to transfer to warrior mode, but give them a chance because you need them and they’re only going to be around for a little while, just to see that you get all this.

A sergeant at arms will be there to help you in situations when you have to respond to what is happening to you and you aren't able to. You'll want to answer the call, "right now", but don't. Take the time to hear your sergeant so that you don't act on emotion.

For example, maybe you’ve experienced an airstrike recently and it looks like they’ve wounded all your men/defenses, don’t do anything. Take some time to access the situation/damage otherwise you’ll be acting on emotion and we already know that’s not good. Write what you want to say but don’t send it. Have your sergeant read it and play devils advocate. Line up your defense strategy again realigning things so that they make better sense, then play it out to your sergeant and see what they have to say about it.

Taking time is always good because it makes your opponent think they’ve won, that you're defeated. No way, you’re just building ammunition for the next round. Where you were weak, you’re now building a better defense because they’re going to come after you in that same place to try and take you out. When they come you want to be ready. If you jump and tell them what you think, more times than not, you’re going to tip you hand and they’re going to try some other maneuver you’re not prepared for. So, take time out to build up your defense and hit them where it hurts, and divert their attention away from your weakness.

Well, I hope I’ve given you some food for thought. Remember, this is just one person’s opinion, mine, take it and make it work for you. In the meantime, may you continue to realize God’s blessings so that He continues to keep you just as He’s promised.

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