In the Trenches

Digging trenches is hard and dirty work. I know because I've dug a few in my lifetime. There is always a purpose for digging trenches; I've never known anyone to dig a trench just for the fun of it. Just when you think that you are making headway, your shovel hits a large rock, or worst yet, smaller rocks that are grouped together. The rocks hinder your progress forward and weakness settles in with every shovel push to remove the rocks. This is when friends are needed to help us maintain focus on the purpose of digging. If we don't keep going until the purpose is achieved, we leave a hole for someone else to fall into. Not a good situation.


Now I know that I've been talking about the physical act of digging trenches, but I see comparisons to when God calls us to come alongside people to help them in their trenches of daily living. Lets face it, we all go through things in our lives that require people to come alongside to help us in the trenches of life. Most times, these trenches are not pretty, they require hard work, things get dirty, and obstacles abound to impede forward progress of achieving the purpose.


Think of the damage caused by us not even being willing to step into the trenches of life when someone needs us to, or even worse yet, when we jump out of the trenches before they accomplish whatever the purpose of the trench is. On the flip side, think about the good fruit that comes when we help someone walk through their daily trenches of living and keep pointing them to Jesus as their helper, comforter, and healer.


The best fruit that I've experienced when helping someone is seeing them trusting and drawing closer to God as they walk through their trenches. Yes, it is hard work walking with someone as they walk through their trenches of daily living, but there is no better joy to see them having a deeper relationship with the Lord.


Is God calling you to come alongside someone in your life? If so, I encourage you to grab your shovel, jump in, and walk with them until they fulfill their purpose in the trench. Keep pointing them to Jesus along the way and watch with amazement of what the Lord does.