The power of a life with vision and faith

I have been reading "The Real George Washington" with my older kids this month, and there are soooooo many amazing lessons to be learned in it: patriotism, courage, virtue, good government...the list could go on and on!

However, I think that my "take home message" was this:
The power of a life lived with vision and faith is incredible and long lasting.

Just think about it:
George Washington fought when outnumbered, persisted with what limited materials he had;
-was denied by Congress on numerous occasions when he asked for needed supplies and pay for his soldiers;
-was betrayed on numerous occasions by fellow soldiers and even friends;
-faced huge debts and ruin with a farm that was left unattended as he served in the army for long years of seemingly fruitless war;
-saw fellow generals betray him on the field--even disobeying direct orders;
-watched his two half-children die (and had none of his own!);
-left his wife and the comforts of his beloved Mount Vernon;
-lost more battles than he won;
-and watched the clothes rot off the backs of his starving soldiers during long winter months, as they lay down on the frozen, snow-covered ground with nothing to cover them!

And I thought I had problems!

Yet, through it all, he writes letter after letter filled with faith in God and the divine hand of Providence in the cause of the American people.  He speaks of his frustration and discouragement, but he keeps doing what he can with what he has, time and again, knowing it is the right thing to do.

I thought about how that applies to me:
-when the days are crazy and everything seems to be going wrong;
-when my imperfections seem to outweigh the good I am doing;
-when children, friends, or family say or do things that disappoint, discourage, or frustrate me;
-when my personal comforts are put on hold for others and it still seems to do no good...

...do I keep going with the attitude of Washington? "Yeah, this current situations stinks, but I know what I am doing is what God wants me to do, so I know that somehow, in the end, when all is said and done, His cause will be triumphant." 

So, here am I --no matter how ugly, dirty, or discouraging the process may look!-- re-committing to look to God's will from me in the everyday, in this year and the years to come, and then doing what I can and being okay with that.

I mean, look at what George Washington did and became!  He led a raw, inexperienced people on to defeat the most powerful empire in the world; he supported the collection of differing states coming together to enjoy an amazing experiment in democratic republic, and he reluctantly became the first president of this great country, defining this most critical role in a new government...all while fully aware of his deficiencies.

If we can just trust that we were put here, in this place and time to do what God needs us to do, as individuals and groups, think of what we, together with God, can accomplish!