my own personal fight club ...

"All right, if the applicant is young, tell him he's too young. Old, too old.
Fat, too fat. If the applicant then waits for three days without food,
shelter, or encouragement he may then enter and begin his training."
- Tyler Durden, in the movie, Fight Club

"We Christians need not be ashamed of showing a little impatience,
longing, and discontent with an unnatural fate, nor with a considerable
amount of longing for freedom, earthly happiness, and opportunity for work."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I've only ever been a participant in one street fight in my life. I don't even know if it occurred on an actual street ... it may have been on an avenue, but I do know that it was a real fight.

It happened when I was in grade 6 and I was traveling home on my bike after school. I remember that I had been yelled at by some kid earlier that afternoon on the school yard and basically chosen to ignore him, only to discovered that he and his two friends were following me as I pedaled toward my house.

I recall that they were yelling something at me too. Now, I'm not at all clear what they were yelling, but I am sure they were terrible things that stirred me deeply inside or at least bothered me enough to stop my bike and take a stand against these "evil doers" (for, without a doubt, they were evil doers and I was but an innocent victim of their rage who had done nothing to prompt their anger - *grin*).

Anyway, the fight couldn't have lasted more than a minute or two, because as quickly as it had started it was finished and the three of them rode off and left me alone to continue my journey.

Who won? I think it was a draw. He threw a few good punches, but I don't think any of them landed. I was actually taking these Karate classes at the time (yeah, yeah, laugh it up!!) and at least knew how to defend myself. I do remember the fight ending immediately after I gave the boy a swift and hard roundhouse kick to his butt though. I guess I kicked his *@%!!

Well, here's my question ... what are the things that you are willing to fight for in your life? I'm obviously looking beyond vengeance for someone calling your mamma ugly or something here. I'm wondering about the stuff that pushes you to say, "Enough is enough!!" and causes you to take a stand despite the kick-back (pun intended!). If I'm not mistaken, I heard Bill Hybels ask this type of a question in a speech he was giving one time, and he called it something like a "holy discontent": the thing that is, for you, the final straw that stirs you to action.

"Bring to the Lord a heart wholly discontent with standing still,
and He will make you a runner worthy of the prize."
- Bill Hybels

I'm wondering this for a couple of reasons. First, I'm thinking about it because I'm doing a little bit of a preach on Sunday around a Bible passage found in the book of Galatians, chapter 5. It's a chapter that talks a lot about standing for freedom and fighting to oppose those selfish desires deep in all of us that want personal gain, and instead, chasing after selfless expressions of care and compassion for others.

The other reason I'm thinking about this is that this week I came face to face with my "Enough is enough!" trigger (well, one of them anyway). It had to do with my family and its health and stability. I'm sure I'll share more about it in the months ahead, but, for me, it was the beginning of a fight and although I know it will be tough slugging in the weeks and months ahead, I know it is for good and that it is right. It all has me feeling alive and purposed.

In a world where we so often drift from day to day in a simple existence, I wonder what would happen if we allowed ourselves to be stirred to action more often? How much good would come of it? How many lives would be effected? How would our worlds be changed?

So what is your "Enough is enough!" trigger?