Today I showed up at the front lines empty handed and she supplied me. She didn’t realize it. Since she’s human, I’m sure there is at least one bone of vanity in her, but I never see it. She’s simply a giver. A servant. An extra miler. I’m in awe sometimes and that awe serves to remind me that I’m seeing Christ at work in her. No one can do that apart from Him, not authentically.
But back to today.
She had three fears that were plaguing her. They were big ones, not little mamby-pamby fears. And they came to life. It was a “fear in your face” moment three times over. She said she went to bed fretting but finally relinquished it all to God. I recognized the desperation. I’ve been taught many times over that desperation is a great motivator for obedience - that’s why God doesn’t hesitate to use a war or two to push us there. Reliance by trial is a proven method. She realized her impotence to change anything and recognized that the Omnipotent One alone has enough power to either remove her fears or sustain her in the midst of them.
The next morning she woke to find that God had instantly managed all three without any help from her. She laughingly stated, “I should give my fears straight to God more often.” Yeah, we all should. But I realized for her it was a “battle-won-with-war-yet-to-be-done” thing. One of those victories that remind us we’re not dead yet. And those times need to be memorialized. I’m big on marking spiritual “ahas” with physical markers. So today I got my friend a couple of military-style dog tags. One says, “Fear not”. The other says “Faith” .
“Fear not” is one of God’s favorite things to say to reluctant soldiers. Faith (fully persuaded trust in God) is the active weapon (the “verb”) that destroys all fear. I don’t expect her to wear those tags around her neck; they’re not very feminine. But I thought she could hang them somewhere as a reminder of today’s victory. A reminder that she can stand and surrender at the same time: taking her stand against the enemy and surrendering to the Most High Commander. One battle won is hope for taking the next hill.
There’s a line I love from a song I can barely remember. It says “It’s Your [God’s] reputation that makes me outrageously brave.” When I watch God guard His own reputation through promises kept and love conveyed to His own, a spark of bravery is ignited. I got a spark of courage today from a friend whose God was faithful and gracious to give her a win. I’m amply supplied through my friend’s victory. The flag of God’s reputation is flying on her hill. It’s enough to stir even this reluctant soldier to outrageous bravery.
