Weakling

The last few nights I have had trouble sleeping. Oh, that's an understatement. Since early February I have had trouble sleeping. "Oh a times, they are a changing" (Dylan). In the middle of the night I wake up, writing, shouting, stating my thoughts to the blank void of my bedroom ceiling. I keep thinking, I should be saying SOMETHING. I should be saying something important, something helpful, something encouraging. 
So here's a little bit of something, for wherever you are, whatever you are doing, however you may be feeling:

​In all the battles I’ve seen, in all the training exercises, and the obstacles I’ve had to climb in my few days on this planet, I’d have to say that day on the beach was one of the most memorable. I hated tugging that ridiculous net along that beach. I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. All of my efforts felt pointless and resistant. With each jerk forward, I made almost no progress.

Anger gurgled in a knot within my ribs. Norita wrenched ahead of me along that beach. He shouldn’t have—he was a weakling who couldn’t even keep his lunch down.

I struggled, sweat dripping down the sides of my face, burning into my eyes, and sliming up my hands so they slipped along the rope, seared. Blisters welled up on my palms, and my back broiled with a fervent, charring ache.

“You gotta pull your own weight, Thompson!” Burkman brought me back. He drew up to my side, hands flailing. He seemed to be everywhere.

“You have to get past those demons! You have to fight them; you have to beat them down. Those voices that tell you to stop, those are wrong. Those voices lie. They steal your victory. Out there be dragons, but in here—” He tapped my chest, “—here lodges your sword and shield. You give up, you’ll never win. You? Give up? That’s not you. You are a victor. You are a success. You have what it takes. Keep going, Thompson. Success isn’t a finish line; success isn’t one moment that makes you great. Success is tackling those obstacles one at a time. Success is dragging this weight until you aren’t supposed to carry it any more. This net is your objective. This finish line, this is where you gotta get. You don’t stop until you get that net across the line. You can’t stop. You won’t stop. You carry that weight. Nobody else can pull it. That’s your weight. Now, you don’t give up. Look around. We need you to cross this line. I don’t care if you do this for us, or for yourself, or if you do this for your mama across the water. Your job, soldier, is to bring this net across this line. You can’t win every challenge. Tucker, you have this moment right here to build up to the moments coming to get you. Tomorrow could be harder. That’s okay. Because you’ll have survived this, right here, right now. Drag that net. Cross the line. The line is all we got.”

Through the tumult of his words, I buried myself in the forward movement. Me versus the sand. Me versus the weight. The weight withheld its grace, but I secured that rope within my hands and grasped with all I had. 

That's a little excerpt from HERE BE DRAGONS and it came to me, inspired, and I pray it draws your heart closer to the One who made you, who makes your arms strong, your feet firm, and your heart victorious.

Would you like a free book? Or a couple free books? They are all by clean science fiction and fantasy authors with a Christian worldview. 
Here's a link: https://storyoriginapp.com/bundles/97b669dc-1d57-11eb-b2b7-4fc259165361

AND

If you would be interested in purchasing any of my books at a discount of $.99 right now, they are on sale until December 3rd. Here are those links:

Insurrection: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Book 1)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8F5YZR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_S5XLFbMMBDEW4

Incomplete: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Insurrection Book 2)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSABMCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_G6XLFbF47962W

Indelible: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Insurrection Book 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07229CDKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_n7XLFbSCRCXPE

​Here Be Dragons
(An Insurrection story/standalone/Book 4)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0787PKJJF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Q7XLFbVDB4JQV

Earthshine: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Insurrection Series/Standalone/ Book 5) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5X6FDL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_C8XLFbDPHFKN8

The winner of the collaboration giveaway was Katy B. from Louisiana, with 2nd Prize as Teresa K from Indiana.

Thank you again, friends, for persevering in this journey with me. May you see miracles around you, may your heart be strong, may you be courageous, and may you act in peace with faith as your guide.