FOR THE END OF THE WAR.

[FOR YEARS, I THOUGHT FREEDOM WAS SOMETHING THAT EXISTED SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE OF ME.

I THOUGHT IF I COULD JUST CHANGE MY CIRCUMSTANCES…

IF I COULD FIND THE RIGHT PLACE…

THE RIGHT PEOPLE…

THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY…

THEN I WOULD FINALLY BE FREE.

I WAS WRONG.

THE GREATEST WAR I EVER FOUGHT WAS NOT WITH THE WORLD AROUND ME.

IT WAS THE WAR INSIDE OF MYSELF.

IT WAS THE WAR BETWEEN WHAT I KNEW WAS TRUE…

AND WHAT I WAS WILLING TO LIVE.

IT WAS EXHAUSTING.

NO MATTER HOW FAR I TRAVELED…

NO MATTER HOW MANY THINGS I TRIED TO CHANGE…

THAT WAR FOLLOWED ME EVERYWHERE.

I THOUGHT HONESTY WAS MY ENEMY.

I THOUGHT IF I WAS COMPLETELY HONEST WITH MYSELF, I WOULD LOSE EVERYTHING.

IN MANY WAYS…

I DID.

HONESTY COST ME RELATIONSHIPS.

IT COST ME COMFORT.

IT COST ME CERTAINTY.

IT COST ME THE LIFE I THOUGHT I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE.

THERE WERE MANY DAYS I QUESTIONED WHETHER IT WAS WORTH IT.

BUT I KEPT CHOOSING HONESTY.

NOT BECAUSE IT WAS EASY.

BUT BECAUSE ONCE I SAW SOMETHING TO BE TRUE…

I COULD NO LONGER BETRAY WHAT I KNEW.

LOOKING BACK NOW…

I SEE SOMETHING I COULD NOT SEE THEN.

HONESTY WAS NEVER TRYING TO DESTROY MY LIFE.

HONESTY WAS QUIETLY LEADING ME TO IT.

EVERY TIME I CHOSE TO BE HONEST…

ANOTHER PART OF THE WAR INSIDE OF ME ENDED.

EVERY TIME I REFUSED TO BETRAY MYSELF…

ANOTHER LAYER OF FREEDOM APPEARED.

TODAY, I UNDERSTAND SOMETHING I NEVER COULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD A FEW YEARS AGO.

THE TRUTH DID NOT SET ME FREE BECAUSE IT MADE MY LIFE EASY.

THE TRUTH SET ME FREE BECAUSE IT ENDED THE WAR BETWEEN WHAT I KNEW…

AND HOW I CHOSE TO LIVE.

THAT IS A FREEDOM NO ONE CAN GIVE ME.

AND IT IS A FREEDOM NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY.

IF YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH YOUR OWN DARKEST HOURS…

IF YOU FEEL A WAR INSIDE OF YOURSELF…

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF HONESTY.

IT MAY FEEL LIKE IT IS ASKING YOU TO LOSE EVERYTHING.

FROM MY OWN WALK…

I HAVE DISCOVERED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

HONESTY WAS NEVER MY ENEMY.

IT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT COULD LEAD ME TO THE END OF THE WAR.

AND WHEN THE WAR ENDED…

I DISCOVERED THAT PEACE HAD BEEN WAITING THERE ALL ALONG.

NOT AS A DESTINATION, BUT AS A HOME.

IT HAS BROUGHT ME HOME TO A PLACE OF PEACE THAT I NEVER KNEW EXISTED.

THIS STATE OF PEACE COULD ONLY BE FOUND BY BEING HONEST WITH MYSELF AND REFUSING TO BETRAY MYSELF ONCE THE TRUTH PRESENTED ITSELF.]

FOR THE BLESSING AND GRATITUDE IS WITH THE HONOR OF YOUR SOUL’S-EVOLUTION BY THE GRID-WALKER AND POSTMASTER: Ephraim-H: Troyer.

: ANCHOR. ⚓️

: PILLAR.