When We Join the Long Defeat

We don’t join because we think we will win, we actually have a better chance of losing. And we know that. We aren’t about back out just because we can’t see the victory. We join because we know that it is worth the fight. We know that the struggles will make us develop muscle. We will hold on for so long that we develop calluses, but we will also know that sometimes we have to let go in order to move forward. There’s falling and there’s failing, but we haven’t signed up for either. Even so, we know that we will fall and we will fail, but that doesn’t stop us. It doesn’t slow us down. We have courage and we have strength to keep going. We know that there will be times when our minds and mouths are dry. We carry heavy burdens, but we don’t see them as burdens. We see them as they are. We see them as broken people, afraid to love and afraid of love. We know that there will be a day where our love will break through and enter their hearts. We may not win; we may not ever see a landslide victory. We, however, will experience something far greater. We will experience trials. We will experience the feeling of accomplishment. Nothing will come easy, but that’s better. We will know how to work to get somewhere. We will know that we have gotten our hands dirty in the process, but when we stand up, we will be able to flex muscles some people can only dream about. We are the victorious ones, even if we aren’t the ones with medals around our necks. We are the strong ones, even if we are sometimes called weak. We have a fight that’s worth it. That’s how you know when you have joined the long defeat.

What keeps us going? Hope.

[Inspiration]