White Martyrs

Everyone knows about "normal" martrys, those who shed their blood for love of the Lord and their faith...We all know what incredible courage this takes...How difficult it must have been for those who gave all in order to gain all even though they had never seen it with their own eyes.  We have the current situation going on now where there are many martyrs...How brave they are...

There is another type of martyr though, one you rarely hear about...They are called white martyrs. They don't shed their life blood for Christ and yet they suffer a slow, quiet martyrdom nonetheless...Most aren't even noticed by those around them. And yet silently they suffer, giving it all for love of their Lord. Over the years they accumulate quite a storehouse of heavenly goods.  It might be the person with a disability that keeps them from having a full and regular life and yet they are joyful in the Lord. Quietly they suffer and wait for the Lord...Patiently they wait.  They may be others that suffer at their job for their strong christian values, mocked and left out because they don't condone the accepted behavior of their coworkers. Silently they suffer choosing to stand their ground inspite of the isolation. Others are riduculed at school for their beliefs and yet they stand their ground.
Others suffer one form of suffering after another for years, wondering why and yet silently they persevere in their faith inspite of the tempation to just despair and give up. Others suffer doubts about their faith  by the enemy who is trying to find a way to steal their souls and yet silently they endure and strive hard to finish the race. All these and so many more are all around us everyday...These silent martyrs many unknown to any but God are quietly offering up so much suffering like a sweet bouquet to our God...Rich and plentiful is their reward in heaven... For those who suffer from want, they will have all they need and more from the bounty of God. To those who are broken hearted and lonely and yet persevere they will also be filled, filled to deep capacity by the only One who can truly mend and fill a broken, hungry heart. To those who have suffered physically so patiently how they will leap and run with joy, filled with energy and enthusiasm like no one on this earth has ever seen! To those who suffer in spirit and mind they will be enlightened and filled with knowledge that brings such incredible joy and peace...Their darkness will become light and all their tears and doubts turned into joyous songs of praise! To all who suffer silently, patiently and perseveringly waiting on God they shall ALL be richly rewarded for their loyalty, for their belief inspite of not seeing and yet trusting His Word to be true, HOW they SHALL be REWARDED....it makes my heart leap with hope just thinking about the promises fulfilled that are coming to those who can just somehow finish the race...

To clarify, I do not speak of those who suffer because they have made bad choices and now suffer the consequences of walking down the road of darkness but of those who LOVE the Lord and suffer because of it.  To suffer for the Lord does not always mean publicly defending your faith, it can also mean private suffering that no one except you and God know about. It means accepting even though sometimes uttering a complaint now and then...It means trusting that God whom you love knows what He's about and that He brings good out of all things for those who love HIM....it means accepting the fact that the dark one knows that you love the Lord is looking for any and all means to steal your soul whether through doubts of faith, through illnesses, through sorrows of the heart, or so many other ways. It means being a target for suffering when you love the Lord...But to those who persevere in love ALL will be obtained. Nothing will be refused to those who truly love the Lord, great is their reward in Heaven...How they are tenderly held and loved even on this earth.... So to anyone to whom this somehow rings true for you take courage...Be at peace and know that great is your reward...Looking back from Heaven all here that was suffered will seem as naught compared to the joy you will feel for eternity...

Peace,
GG