As the waves of sadness
wash over me
and beat against
my soul’s shores
the sands of impermanence
erode
carried off
into the sea of forgotten tears
here I remain
clinging to the bedrock
that cannot be washed away
my faith sustains me
until the storm subsides
God is my strength
He will not forget me
FAITH SUSTAINS ME
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Meditations of a Gentle Warrior
To read my longer writing, subscribe at robertvanvalkenburgh.com
Walk toward your fear.
It will not kill you.
It is the gateway to your freedom.
If you can face your greatest fears, what else can stop you?
But you cannot do it alone.
Cry out for help and it will be given.
Your courage and your strength are not your own.
NOT YOUR OWN
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Meditations of a Gentle Warrior
To read my longer writing, subscribe at robertvanvalkenburgh.com
Don’t let anyone make you question your worth to the point of self doubt or depression.
What other people think of you, say about you, or how they treat you is not a reflection of your worth.
It is a reflection or their character.
Your worth is intrinsic.
No one can add to it or take away from it.
Find peace, comfort, and strength in your heart.
Everything else is temporary.
INTRINSIC WORTH
By Robert Van Valkenburgh
Meditations of a Gentle Warrior
To read my longer writing, subscribe at robertvanvalkenburgh.com
You do not need to sacrifice your gentleness in order to be strong.
True strength is not rigid or forceful.
It is flexible and adaptable.
Under enough pressure, that which is rigid breaks.
That which is overly forceful is resisted in kind.
True strength bends without breaking, is persistent without being forceful, and adjusts as needs require.
Do not sacrifice your gentleness in order to be strong because there is strength in gentleness there is gentleness in strength.
Lean into the things that expose your weaknesses.
Relationships and experiences that show you where you are vulnerable are doing you a service.
There is no way to be truly strong without knowing where and how you are weak, and then addressing those areas of your character.
Strength may cover up vulnerability, but it does not resolve it entirely.
No matter how strong you imagine yourself to be, someday you are going to come across something or somebody that will expose the truths that you have ignored or kept hidden.
Do your best to uncover these aspects of your character now to avoid being blindsided by them when you least expect it.
Seek out that which teaches you the truth about who you are.
Embrace that truth, get to know it intimately, and make friends with it.
This is the path to true strength.
Meditations on God 