Today, I become the mother of a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Military.
How that happened, I will never know.
I blinked, and my baby boy with humongous brown eyes that stared up at me from the hospital bed when they placed him in my arms, turned five.
At five, he declared he would grow up to be a “missionary to the outfitters and the hunters in the high country.”
I blinked again, and with certainty, this little man knew he’d be a basketball star (in fact, he could outshoot any high school player on our Rift Valley Academy team in Kijabe, Kenya).
When he informed us, as a senior in high school, that the military caught his eye, we were flabbergasted.
Then 9-11.
Then Iraq.
Then whatever-it-is-he-does-now (I don’t ask as I don’t wish to die).
This soldier-son has always had a tender-tough heart.
The people of this country are fortunate to have him stand in their defense.
He loves his Lord, his family, and his country in that order.
He will lay down his life for any of the three.
Many of those who swear an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States share that blessed burden.
Any time I spend any amount of time on a military base, I’m quick to leaking eyes and grateful heart.
It’s a different world. A different culture. Even the language is different (they speak “acronym”).
When I sit at the King-Table with followers of Jesus who do military-life, I’m reminded that we need all sorts of followers with different skill sets.
We need go-ers, like the Royals I mentioned last week.
We need stay-ers…who serve in the market place.
We need battle-ready followers, as well.
Not just those in the official positions of the armed forces, but in the Lord’s army.
In recent months, I’ve never been more aware of the spiritual battle that is around us.
I’ve seen the ploys of the enemy first hand.
Sometimes, I haven’t even recognized them for what they were.
Example.
Back in August, I went to speak at a very familiar location where I spend a week every summer.
It is so familiar, it’s like a “second summer home.”
But, it was the first time I’ve been at my second-summer-home without my husband.
They picked me up from the airport….dropped me off at the same cabin I stay in every summer…gave me meal tickets to the same dining hall where I always eat…and the morning routine was exactly the same as any other summer-morning.
However, from the moment I entered my cabin, the strangest sensation came over me.
I wanted to study for the first session where I’d be sharing the gospel.
I couldn’t.
I can’t explain what had come over me.
It felt like a heavy blanket of grief had been draped over me.
That is the closest I can come to describing what was happening.
I’m definitely not a cryer…not even when there is a huge emotional hurt in my life…but, that night and into the next day, I wanted to just sit and weep.
The thing is that there was absolutely no reason for this response.
I went for a long walk.
I prayed.
I spent the morning listening to praise music.
I kept trying to pick up my notes to study….and, I JUST COULDN’T.
It took me hours to realize that this was a ploy from the enemy to distract.
Never before has an attack hit me in like fashion.
That’s what made it so difficult to recognize.
However, our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion — seeking.
He uses a lot of similar tactics, how they are played out is different.
He distracts.
He discourages.
He plants seeds of fear.
He intimidates (especially by threatening our identity in Christ).
He ridicules.
He threatens failure.
He entices with compromise.
And, we must be on our toes.
As Jesus-followers, we must be battle-ready-warriors.
Just as our esteemed United States Armed Forces.
We must be at the ready with a go-bag at a minutes notice.
Just like those who sat at the King-Table, like the Knights of Arthur’s round table – ready to fight for the Kingdom at a minutes notice.
Quick to respond.
Quick to stand against the enemy.
As I’ve learned what it looks like to take my seat in the heavenlies with Christ, I recognize that this is a subsequent outflowing of being seated.
Once we capture what all it entails to sit, the Lord wants us to walk out our calling in Jesus.
By sitting, He prepares us for His work.
By working, we become prime targets for the enemy.
So, then we stand!
We need do nothing else.
To stand means I rise up in the authority of the King who has placed me at His Table.
To stand means I declare the battle has already been won.
To stand means I hold out my weapon of faith, and raise my sword of Truth, and watch the enemy fall, because he is already defeated and just needs to be reminded of it.
So, today, on this particular military base, in this particular celebratory season, I’m convinced of the need for those who are battle-ready to stand on behalf of this country.
I am thankful for men and women who will stand for right that evil will not prevail.
As followers of Jesus, may we do the same!
Let us be quick to stand firm against the wiles of the enemy!
In doing so, we are battle-ready….but, may we all maintain a tender-tough heart!
