You are not alone

The steep mountain slope stood before him, nothing but rock surrounded him. He was unable to see the horizon and the mountains about him were indeed impenetrable. Fear gripped his heart as he stood alone on the side of this mountain, it haunted him it followed him. He could not escape the feeling, could not escape the moments of overwhelming doubt. They followed him as if they were the very essence of the black clouds that lay below him. There was so much pain, so much confusion within those clouds and despite all his strength he could not keep in front of them. His situation was bleak, a wall of rock stood before him with only pain, confusion and loneliness behind him. Where could he find his peace, where could he put his trust...

Dressed in his dull, beat up armor the soldier stood in a bleak and wasted landscape. The army behind him was ceaselessly cursing, yelling and taunting him. The hatred they had towards him, the pure unchecked bloodlust they had for his demise haunted the soldier; he was weak and could not stand anymore. Falling to his knees in bitter frustration he cried aloud; he knew his demise would soon become a reality. His enemy had won and they had been able to knock down his defenses. As if to re-iterate this, his helmet slipped off his head and fell to the dusty ground. His hope was gone. Where could he find his peace, his strength, and, in whom could he put his trust...

...The lone man looked at the dark churning clouds behind him and the impenetrable wall of solid rock in front of him and then something overcame him. He was aware of a presence so holy, so divine standing right beside him. He turned to look but could see no one, and yet, he knew there was someone beside him holding his hand and carrying him along. It spoke of a hope, of someone so trustworthy and faithful, and now he knew that this rock face was not as impenetrable as he once had thought. He turned his back on the prison of clouds below him and took one step forward into the future. Yes, there would be trying times but the one beside him would be there to show him the path.

...As the soldier sat there sobbing he felt someone approach him. Thinking it was finally the end he collapsed to the ground, his face pressed hard into the soil. But he felt someone reach down and touch him, a touch not of hate, but of love and he was raised from off his face. Still unable to stand, the soldier stayed on his knees looking up trying to see his helpers face, but the brilliance behind this strange person kept him from seeing much detail. He watched as his helper bent down to pick up the fallen helmet. Dusting it off the stranger placed the helmet back onto the soldiers head. Standing him up, the stranger said one sentence, “Go. I go with you and my strength is yours.” With that the soldier turned to face the army before him and raising his sword, he leveled it at the creatures that so wanted to destroy him. He knew now that this would be a different battle and he was indeed not alone in it.

This is a story I wrote not too long ago. Sometimes I begin to wonder if I write these stories for a reason that I cannot comprehend at the time the last key is struck. You see, every time i go back to read them, I seem to be facing some kind of trial, some kind of struggle; when all hope seems to be lost, the things I've written seem to reach into my very heart and calm the waters. They seem to bolster my strength and my resolve to not give in and not be conquered by the troubles of this life.