As most of you know, I am a musician with a deep love for the Lords music, vocals and guitar.

The last month I have been experiencing some disturbing numbness in my left shoulder and left fingers. This is a little troubling because it has be en increasingly harder to play my guitar; and that is one of the ways I serve th e Lord. Lately, I have been going through a difficult time in my life. My daily struggle has been magnified and part of my spirit has been yearning for a bette r place. I have shared before my fight with my medical conditions and the last month I have been feeling like I just dont need another thing to heap up on my da y-to-day list of overcoming. Then, how does a man keep his focus on Jesus and no t the circumstances(2 Corinthians 5:7)? I was praying this morning and God just keeps showing me that I am in a battle against an enemy that wants my destructio n. The bible says: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against pri ncipalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, aga inst spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places] Ephesians 6:12. In the last few months I have drawn very close to the Lord and He has blessed me fo r it. I have been stepping out in some ministry opportunities and have given a l ot of myself to the people of my church, my work and whoever I come in contact w ith. Well, when you do that, the enemy of our souls, places a huge target on you r back and you start to experience many trials and difficulties. Its funny, when I didnt serve God my life was empty but no onslaught of intense pressure and feel ing of everything coming against you at every step. So, as I continued in my pra yer with the Father, he began to show me how important that I come through this trial so the testing of my metal will result in purity in the Lord. In Malachai 3:3 is says: He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offe rings in righteousness to the LORD. I, so desperately, want to bring glory to th e Lord. Our great Messiah once prayed: Father, glorify me so that I can bring glo ry to you. So, when I pray, I ask the Lord to bless me so I can bring glory back to Him. That should always be our motive. If that was the desire of Jesus, then , it should drive us to do the same since God the Father sent Jesus to be our gr eat example as well as our sacrifice. Well, what do I do with this information t he Lord has given me? How do I apply it to the right now? I need to just be plea sed with where the Lord has me and remember that all this struggle will eventual ly produce hope, in a risen savior, in a life worthy of living and in the great plans the Lord has for my life. At the end of this poem, I quoted a verse from R omans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces ho pe, and hope does not put us to shame, because Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us Today, if you are strugg ling with some maladies, or, having trouble overcoming some giant obstacle in yo u life, believe in what God is doing in you. Trust that He has it all under cont rol; and allow Gods love to be poured directly into your heart, by the Holy Spiri t who has been given to you. All this suffering will produce in you a great hope , which God invented so you would continue forth in your journey. If you dont kno w Jesus as your savior, please message me and I will take you by the hand and we will travel down the Romans Road of salvation. I have put a few miles on this roa d and it is a blessed path to freedom. Please enjoy the poem about struggle, maladies and keeping an eye on what God is doing in your life. Feel free to comment, subscribe, join and share with others what you have read t oday. The Great Plains Poet, follower of the path and over-comer of my circumstances, God Bless you all! Fumble Fingers by Chris T. Worn out calloused digits, The tools that I use.

My friends and my foes, Milestones of age and duty. Today you fly with the adept flow of an ever-changing breeze, Tomorrow you knurl and freeze like the knots in a toddlers shoelace. You execute the impulse of my mind and the desires of my heart. Can you please work correctly today? Will you embarrass me in front of my colleagues, my students? If you might be patient enough to let the medicine do its job, You might be one with your custodian, your friend. It makes no For you did I wont let The letdown sense to curse you or to chastise, not choose your affliction. my heart grow cold to your trials, your lot. will not exceed my joy.

For when you are on, your blessing is unquestionable. When it all comes together, accolades are received, confidence builds and joy fr om the Lord becomes complete. When the Spirit is guiding, lives are touched and Gods field has been plowed. The question: Is my elation worth this price? Yes, oh yes, the push through the pain has merit. The surprise and dismay is a purchase I will make over and over again. For my Lord said suffering would produce endurance, Endurance will lead to character, And character will reveal unto me hope. So, I will be content with my fumble fingers, My small curse and my laboring for hope. The gift of this affliction is not in its suffering, But in its producing of a humble and penitent man.