Fighting Battles

So my pastor preached Sunday on this subject... and I just cant seem to stop thinking about it. Without going into a whole lot of detail... life is has been hard lately... hard emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. None of it has to do with our adoption or anything like that. It has all stemmed from my current job. I don't feel like I should go into detail and share. But it's just been ridiculous lately, and I feel like no matter what I do I can't win.
And I sit back and just have this deep desire for someone to fight for me.
You know that feeling where you feel like you've given it all you got, and you just want someone else to jump in and fight FOR you!
Picture this,  you're in a fist fight with someone, this would be the point where you fall to the ground... and someone else steps in and finishes what you were trying to do, as you watch from the pavement - them fighting YOUR fight.

I've struggled with this lately, I just have been praying that God would fight for me. That he would go to war on this for me, and defend me. And I've been disappointed.... Please note that sometimes God does fight for you - and he may be in your situation - and I never want to cause someone to think that God will not be the one who does fight for you... because he does! But in this situation, he silently spoke to me.... I'm not going to fight FOR you, I want YOU to fight this battle... but I am here to fight WITH you! Not going to lie, when God told me this... my first response was disappointment. I'm honestly so tired of fighting. For those of you who know me, lol, seems like my whole life I have been "fighting"... this girls is ready to put down the gloves, ready to retire! She is ready to have a "water break"... I am picturing Rocky right now, and I am just wanting one of those in the corner pep talks from my coach, getting bandaged up and water... not ready for Round 2 just yet. But God continues to remind me, that he is my Coach, and he has been at each fight, each practice, and each "after the fight" bandaging... he's watched every blow, every knock out, every time I've gotten back up... the whole time, WITH me - cheering me on, giving me pointers, and simply being a fan. You see, the important part of all that.... he was with me the whole time... God isn't going to just be an innocent bystander that steps in does all the dirty work, and walks away. He is there for all of it. Isn't that more important than the quick fix defender we so often long for???

Although I mainly wrote this post about fighting... I still very much think this video applies as well. (Please watch below)You see this Coach very much could have let him continue to believe "he couldn't do it" and could have let him continue believing he wasn't capable. But instead he proved to him he could, by pushing him to his max. Not only that, but the most inspiring thing to me in this entire video, is the Coach crawling on the ground with him, encouraging him... I pictured me and God here... I'm whining saying "It hurts, I can't do it any longer"... but he's there telling me to keep going. This Coach was fighting WITH him! Every time I watch this it brings me to tears.... we get so defeated and give up so easily! So let's keep fighting! Endure to the Endzone as Pastor put it on Sunday... we just keep fighting, keep pushing, til one day... we realize were in the endzone.