Fight Until You Win the Battle

Last night we were blessed to give the message at a local revival.   The thunder, lightning, and the torrential downpour of rain on the tin roof of the Haitian church was absolutely in line with the Scripture I was reading!  At every perfect juncture, God would add the exclamation point with a flash of lightning or a peel of thunder!  It was overwhelming.
The title of my message was "Goumen Jouk Yo Genyen Batay La" - Fight Until You Win the Battle."  
It is the Haitian equivalent to our English word, to Overcome.

It was late as we walked down the National Road in the rain and in the dark, physically depleted but spiritually high.  
There was no electricity, but the kids had the kerosene lantern waiting for us.  Kari and I popped some popcorn on the propane stove and sat, reflecting on the inspiration and the sheer, perfect timing of the Holy Spirit.  The rain kept coming harder and harder. The wet season is definitely upon us here in Haiti.  

I walked in the bedroom and sat down exhausted, when suddenly Kari began shouting from the kitchen.  We all came running.   From our roof there was pouring a literal river of water, right down the stairs like a funnel into our house!
Grabbing a plank of wood I entered into total knee-jerk reaction, frantically scooping water away from the door and all of the Bibles.  Kids came running, animals came running.  
Immediately my son assessed the futility of my situation, it was raining harder than I was paddling. 
"Dad, should we knock holes in the roof?!"
"What?! NO!  It will take too long and by then everything will be underwater!  Paddle boy!  Paddle!" I yelled.  
The girls came tumbling out with their Haitian brooms and began pushing water as fast as they could.  We were losing the battle.  Water was filling our house, and I'd never seen so much rain coming so fast.   I realized my son had the only solution.
"Go get my hammer boy!"  I yelled, and in a flash he was gone and back.  
For the next hour I beat the concrete of our roof to make holes while the girls and the boy pushed water to the point their muscles wouldn't go anymore.   
Finally the tide was turned, and as all the kids around me were collapsed in the receding lake atop our house, I found myself so thankful for their willing hands and feet, their persevering hearts to help me, to fight until we'd won the battle, down to the last drop of strength.
God is so good! His living illustrations are priceless!
We all came in, shivering and wet to the very marrow of our bones.   Kari had been mopping up the inside of the house the entire time, saving all of our belongings.   There I found our brave dog Caramel.  He'd decided there wasn't a more safe, dry place in the entire house than right on top of our table.   Kari snapped this shot of him.  Poor dog, he just doesn't know Who holds tomorrow.