Friday night, logging off the work computer, is there any greater feeling? But for some reason I felt an unexplained heaviness this particular Friday night.
There wasn’t anything necessarily wrong or stressful, just the usual worry pebbles of life. The workday was fine. Sure I left with the same number of activities in my queue as I started. No proof of a long hard productive day. Each task erased and replaced by three more. Each email cleared, replaced by multiple phone calls; a steady rush of never ending work supply. But that is the norm, so why does it bother me today?
I decided I needed to take my 4th walk of the day. Warmth, sun, deep breaths and some praying would do me a world of good. I had my ear buds in as I started my Pandora app. I convinced myself this plan would help lighten the imaginary load I was carrying and inject some energy into my bones.
I was well into my park walk when the 3rd song came on; Overcomer by Mandisa. I hadn’t heard this song in over a decade. It was released 2013 the same year I was going through IVF. The same year I lost 12 of my babies. 2013 was also the year my first professional job was moving out of state, friends were leaving, inventories were tripling, stress was insurmountable and time with my work family was dwindling. 2013 was when we entered our fifth year of carrying a mortgage on a house we no longer lived in, a house that would not sell.
2013 was the year I would listen to Overcomer on repeat; over and over and over and over again.
To this day, 2013 remains the hardest year of my life. Mandisa was my very own personal cheerleader throughout 2013.
I hadn’t heard this song since the artist Mandisa’s passed away in 2024; she was a young 47 years old.
“You’re an overcomer
Stay in the fight ‘til the final round
You’re not goin’ under
‘Cause God is holding you right now
You might be down for a moment
Feelin’ like it’s hopeless
That’s’ when He reminds you
That you’re an overcomer
You’re an overcomer.”
(If you are not familiar with this song, its well work a YouTube search and listen)
As her voice serenaded me on my heavy park walk, I was struck by how her lyrics were once again replicating life, hers and mine. Mandisa stayed in the ‘fight ‘til the final round’ when God pulled her out.
What a beautiful heavenly moment it must have been when Mandisa overcame the world and made her heavenly debut. When she got to see first hand all the people her music touched and continues to touch in countless, profound ways.
For Jesus believers, when we are called to our heavenly home we will get to see the IMPACT we made on earth. We get to see the reasons and results from our trials, our toils, and our tears. They are NOT FOR NOTHNG.
Jesus said:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NLT
It was with renewed purpose, I finished my heavy park a little lighter. I had just been reminded of all that I overcame 2013 and I was ready to overcome another day. I was ready to: “Stay in the fight ‘til final round”.
(Mamas for more information on how to secure your heavenly home, please go to “Need a Best Friend” tab)
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