Victory - Written by Wanda Rodriguez - Written on May 21, 2025 - Published on May 21, 2025

Victory

Written by Wanda Rodriguez

Written on May 21, 2025

Published on May 21, 2025

I love music.  All kinds of music.  The music I’m listening to at a given time depends on my mood or what I am preparing to do.  Various genres make it to my playlist, including contemporary Christian, 70’s & 80’s jams (thank you K-Tell), classic rock, southern rock, bluegrass, classic country, dance, alternative rock, grunge, sad songs, happy songs, singer/songwriter/story telling type songs, classical (shout out to Bugs Bunny and friends!), etc.  There are also some that never make the list, like hip hop, screamer music, opera, techno music, etc.  My brothers both play guitar and share an affinity for hats (Not me! No thanks! Never gonna happen!!  With the gifting of my naturally ginormous head, I look more like Oliver Hardy (from Laurel and Hardy) with his large head and a tiny bowler hat balancing, uneasily, on top!).  One of my brothers said that the hat chosen ties into the music they plan to play adding that, “You have to be the hat.”  This was said in complete seriousness and the quote still cracks me up!  I suppose if I could “be the hat” it would be one we used to call “tweeter hats” (not sure why we called it that, we just did) with the propellers.  It suits me somehow.  Again, not sure how or why, it just does.  Anyway, this is similar to me in that my plans or how I might be feeling, impacts my music choices (walking, cleaning, getting ready for the day, exercising, feeling melancholy, looking for motivation, etc).  More often than not, I chose to listen to contemporary Christian music, either on the radio (shout out to WGTS!!) or a streaming service.  

My Bible study today talked a lot about being equipped for the battle of spiritual warfare, memorizing scripture, and recognizing that the victory has already been claimed in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The importance of memorizing scripture was hit on several times.  This is an area where I feel rather ill-equipped (100% my own fault!).  I once told my pastor (shout out to PBB) that I could never be one to go out and evangelize because of my deficit in this area.  I felt that if backed into a corner, when trying to share the gospel, that I would not have enough memorized scripture in my tool box and that I would likely crumble into a puddle of babbling nonsense (not unlike what I’m doing right now, as I try to put one coherent word after another to make readable, logically flowing, sentences … yeah, right!).  Two things struck me during that conversation.  The first was his unsettling laughter (Evil? Maniacal? Sinister? Dastardly?…) towards me at using the word “never.”  He gleefully assured me that God loves a challenge.  (Ruh-Roh, Scooby!!!)  The second takeaway required a little more time to sink in, and that was that, when the time comes, God will give you the words you need as the battle has already been won!  God stands victorious!  (Still, Wanda, it really is time to kick it in gear and get busy writing that scripture on your heart!!! What are you waiting for?  An invitation?  Consider yourself invited!)  Wait, there's that word victory again!  

At the beginning of this calendar year, I started a program through church to read through the Bible over the course of a year.  I am a painfully slow reader with a wandering mind (shocker!!) and, as such, I often miss everything I just read (Yes, another one of my many superpowers!) or fall asleep (usually both!).  In college, I fell asleep on textbooks so often at the library that I told people I was learning through osmosis by allowing it to seep through the pages into my brain as I slumbered.  (Yeah, they didn’t buy it either.  You can’t blame a girl for trying!)  To me, reading through the Bible seemed an insurmountable task (We already know that osmosis was a bust!)!  Enter a life changing discovery (shout out of gratitude to my bible study group!) called the Bible App.  I crawled out from under my cozy rock, downloaded it, and voila!  Any version of the bible I would like with the bonus of having it read to me!  Who knew?!?!  Nevermind, don’t answer that.  I’m fairly certain everyone knew but me.  Regardless, victory was now mine!!!  (Insert my own maniacal laughter here accompanied by sinister hand rolling and awkward eye twitching!!) This leveled the playing field a bit and greatly increased my chances of actually getting through the bible (FYI - moment of transparency, I am officially behind, but not out of the race!).  To be honest, I don’t love the AI voices presenting the audio version on the app, but I am able to cover more ground, with greater comprehension this way, so it all works out.  (Fair trade.)  I have learned much by listening to the words, and a great deal of known information has been reinforced or enhanced.  One thing that struck me is how much of the bible is used verbatim in contemporary Christian songs, my number one music genre if you recall.  During this “Aha moment” I came to understand that I had a great deal more scripture committed to memory than previously realized.  In an inevitable Wanda - childhood flashback - moment (Squirrel!!), I might equate it to School House Rock and all of the magical things I learned (and can still recite/sing to this day) from those songs that taught and reinforced countless concepts.

In reality, we are likely getting God’s word poured into us all of the time, even if we do not sit, dutifully, at the table reading the bible every day.  Think about it.  This is an incomplete list of things that might, in addition to routine reading or rote memorization of the bible, impact you in this area on a regular, if not daily, basis: Christian music; the bible app; bible studies and small groups; memes and posts that people send or share; daily devotionals; church service; praise and worship service; teaching Sunday school; teaching AWANA; etc.  The thing that these varied vessels have in common is that all carry and pour out the same information, even if the format is somewhat different.  Each is a means to learn, to share, to understand, and to grow in God’s precious words of boundless love.  It is also an opportunity for us to write scripture on our minds, on our hearts, and on our souls.  

Don’t underestimate what God has placed in your toolbox.  God pours into us every day directly through His word and through other, less direct, means.  His word is there for you during the good times and the bad, providing comfort and wisdom.  When needed, God will help you find the right words, whether for yourself or to be shared with others.  It makes me think of a golf caddy who hands the golfer the right club in order to best attack the ball before him.  God is no caddy, but He is there to help you choose the right “club” for the task at hand.  Like syrup filling up all the recesses of your griddle fresh waffle or butter melting into all of the nooks and crannies of your freshly toasted English muffin, let God’s precious words penetrate and saturate you and your spirit, by whatever means works best for you.  Trust in the knowledge that the battle has already been won and through God we are now, and forevermore, victorious.  

Romans 8:31 reminds us that “... If God is for us, who can stand against us?”  

As always, it has been my distinct pleasure to share my thoughts with you.  I remain humbled and appreciative of your taking the time to read and travel along with me.  Comments welcome and encouraged.  -Wanda