The Garden

Chapter 12Victory Is Yours

When Jay and Kay arrived in the garden, they saw Mr. Erwin polishing the statue as he sat on the ground beside it. “How do you feel?” he asked them, knowing what they were going to say.

“We were emotionally drained and exhausted last night,” said Kay.

“But we feel great this morning,” said Jay. “We feel lighter and freer like I feel on the days I don't have to carry my band instrument around.”

“Victory feels good,” said Mr. Erwin. He stopped polishing the statue, put the rag down, and stood up. He noticed that Jay wasn’t slumping as much and Kay wasn't tapping her foot nervously. “I want you to remember this feeling. I want you to remember that you are victorious.”

“How could we forget it?” asked Jay. He thought he could never forget how good he felt.

“Oh, it happens,” said Mr. Erwin. “It happens a lot to a lot of people. Over time the enemy continues to try to make you forget the battle has been won. The enemy gets you to focus on the mistakes you made in the past rather than the victory that is yours. When you make a new mistake or fall short of perfection, he'll try to make you feel like a fraud. He'll try to make you feel like you didn't earn this victory. And before you know it, you're walking around all defeated again.”

“So even though we are victorious and won the battle, it's not over?” asked Jay, who was trying to understand how they could be victorious and yet have to continue to withstand the attacks of the enemy.

“Here's the deal,” said ...