By Ariane Williams

Do you have your jousting lance ready for practice? Is your movement stuck in your practice?

Jousts were popular forms of entertainment for the people and training opportunities for knights. You might be feeling as if you are stuck in your current place. Your current place can be physical, mental or spiritual. Your current place is simply a part of the move. Are you looking at what the move gave you? Did you know that you are just a knight in training but being prepared for the battle?

Your situations are only shoes that you are standing in at this time. Once you begin to stand tall in those shoes, they will become worn and will need to be replaced with new victory shoes. It is during your training that people will try to test your moves to destroy what is on the inside of you.

You may feel like what’s in you has been shattered, but it has only been interrupted while you are in training. You just need to know how to use your armor and how to fight for your why? The goal of jousting was to break the spear of the opponent but not harm the body. There may be people that you think are trying to harm you; they are after your spear. Your opponent doesn’t know that there are distinct rules to your training and that serious wounds or injury to your spirit will cause them to be disqualified.

It is OK to receive a hard blow and be dismounted from your horse. It will not destroy you. Get back on your vision, and be ready to push back. Pushing back does not mean revenge. Sometimes, you have to walk away while you are in the move. Now, I am not talking about a physical walk away yet because it may not be time to physically move. You can distance yourself and focus on the Word during this time of interruption. It is important to know your next move. I thank God for showing me how to respond in the midst of being dismounted in my interruptions. I felt as if my vision was put on pause, but now I am back in the season of play. When I look back on the things that I thought that belonged to me, I thank God that the move was interrupted and intercepted just for me.

You may feel as if you are in a place of interruptions and feel as if you cannot move. While you are in this place of training, it is important for you to see what God has done for you and what He is doing for you. Find beauty in your moves. Allow every moment to be a learning experience. Take notes. Think love before you respond. Stay humble in your training experience. People will test you to dismount you. Do not strike back as they will shatter their own spear. Master the lesson. Ride your vision.

The things around you that are acting like commas, interrupting you, are getting ready to be removed so that you can run on. God does not hold us down in life; we hold ourselves down. We allow others to hold us down. When we get stuck in the what, we never know our why. Know your why in this season. I am walking in the peace of my why, and it feels like freedom.

Knights used to paint their jousting lances to match the colors of their coat of arms. I would like to encourage you to print a picture of a spear, cut it out, and paste in your journal. Write these words by your spear: I am a knight in training, and I am prepared for battle. My opponent will not defeat me because I am already on the back of my vision, and I am riding it. It is OK to become temporarily dismounted in the midst of training. Just remember that you are permanently mounted in the blood. Get a better look at what the move is giving you. Then, you will be able to appreciate what it gave you. Move.

Ariane Williams is a teacher, minister, published author and liturgical dancer. Email her at arianewilliams810@yahoo.com.