Enduring Hardship

Halloween memories

I can remember when I was about eight or nine years old. I was at my sisters house and it was Halloween night. Living in town was a privilege when I was growing up, because at Halloween there were plenty of houses to trick or treat at.

This Halloween though was to be a special night. One that I couldn't even dare to imagine the outcome of. This particular Halloween night my sister decided it would be the year that I would be dressed up as a girl.

Of course she didn't just say, hey I think you should be dressed as a girl tonight.  No, She was much more sly than that.

I didn't have any time to prepare for this particular Halloween. What with Baseball season over and school starting again I'd just fallen into a funk and couldn't seem to get anything right in my life. I didn't want to be at school, it seemed the majority of my teachers had picked me out as one of the chosen few to extend their attention to. Not that affectionate kind of attention either. 

As I found myself on Halloween night, I realized that my friend was going to be there any minute, and that I had literally no ideas for an outfit. I don't know about you, but when I was growing up Halloween was an important night, full of fun and lots of candy. And if you played your timing just right, you could fill two sacks instead of one.
 
There was also the new subdivision by the Fairgrounds that always gave away twice as much candy then any other area. And if you talked fast enough , you could convince your parents that you would be back at the car quicker then you actually could.

 Anyway in my zeal to figure out something to wear, my sister said, let's just try something. I should have been smart enough from past incidents to catch onto that little phrase that came from my sisters mouth. "Lets just try something"

This phrase had so many times before caused me to go to places and do things that I didn't want to do. But this night my mind wasn't present, it was somewhere else,where I don't know.

Before I knew it, I was standing in her living room dressed as a girl, pantyhose and all. I have to admit it was quite a relief when my sister put the wig on, because then no one new it was me. This was proved true when my friend walked in the door. He came in said hi to my sister, and asked where I was.
 
My sister just laughed and smiled.  
Until I spoke he didn't have a clue.

Now being a young man and having to dress as a girl was bad. But in my day if your friends saw you dressed as a girl it meant hardship and almost certain humiliation or death.

Now this is where my memory gets pretty sketchy, I don't remember if I stayed dressed like a girl or not. I guess we'll never know as I have seemed to somehow block certain memories from my mind about that night.

I do remember, my friend and I sat there and made a pact with one another. As I wanted to get plenty of candy, and my friend didn't want to go alone, we decided not to tell anyone who I really was.

You know, that Halloween night I remember bringing home more candy then I ever did on any other night. I do remember, as my friend and I walked around trick and treating, no one seemed to recognize me. I guess everyone thought I was someone else.

I do know that my friend and I didn't talk about that night ever again.

You know as I think of those times when I was younger and how they molded and fashioned me, I realized it wasn't so bad.

I also believe that God has a much more simple view of things in our lives.

If it is true that everything in our lives is allowed by God for our growth, then I believe that he wanted me to learn something from that fate full night.

We just received a call from my sisters husband a couple of months ago informing us that she had went to be with God that night.It was our youngest sister so it came as a huge shock to all of us.

Now, month's later we are back to normal life again, as normal as it can be without my sister.
I will never forget the memories that God allowed in my life on one Halloween night at my sisters house in Arizona.

2ND Timothy 2:3 says: Endure Hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

I wonder what Paul was feeling like sitting there in a Roman prison. Undoubtedly many of Paul's supporters, seeing the hopelessness of his situation, had probably abandoned him.

If it were possible, I'm sure that Paul would look back and say to us, about the hardship he faced sitting in that prison,that it truly was a blessing.

We must remember as we go through hardship that it can in the end become a blessing instead of a curse.

After all God is in control and he desires everything to work together for his good.

So remember being a good soldier in hard times isn't so bad after all.