“For the ones who fight their way forward.” — V.E. Schwab
I read V.E. Schwab’s dedication in A Gathering of Shadows, and it resonated. I know people who “fight their way forward.” They bear chronic illnesses with grace and beauty. They take their work seriously but not themselves.
I love these people. They inspire me to keep trying, to continue fighting. I think of them as “my people,” maybe because I lump myself in with them.
I fight my way forward every day, too, at least with some things. Type 1 diabetes requires vigilance and a warrior mentality. Work does, too, as does reading my Bible.
I consciously choose to eat well and check my blood sugar. I follow up with doctors’ offices, the pharmacy, and insurance. Such things are par for the course when it comes to chronic illness, but they sometimes feel like a battle.
Work also involves a “fight your way forward” attitude, although my go-to saying is, “This is Sparta!” Basically, whining gets me nowhere. Tears may fall, but they have to be dried and sucked up. There’s work to be done, and it’s up to me to do it and do it well.
Reading my Bible daily stands as its own battleground. I find it difficult because I struggle to rest. Work comes easily, but rest…rest is hard. I know I need it, though, so I battle the thoughts that say to keep working, that my worth comes from output rather than identity.
The thoughts flit around my mind, but I give them no quarter. I read, even if it’s only for five or ten minutes. I keep to the commitment I made this year and to my accountability partner to spend more time in the Bible and to spend more time with God.
I fight my way forward. I hope you will, too.
Image: Kristin Wall (Creative Commons)