Soldier Lessons

I have a tiny Roman Soldier sitting on my desk at work. It's a visual reminder of what the Apostle Paul told the church at Ephesus:

"Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11)

But all week, my little soldier has been falling over. One day, I reached for a file folder and knocked him off his feet. Another time, I set my coffee down too close to him, and he wobbled over on his side. Then today, he fell flat on his face when I rammed my desk with my chair.

Interestingly, I identify with my little soldier the most when he's lying there helpless. I understand what it feels like to be all decked out and in battle gear; ready to rumble, and then get knocked off your feet.

But this is where my little soldier and I differ. You see, no matter how many times my little soldier falls, he remains poised for battle. His arms stay extended, his sword remains drawn, and he maintains his game face.

I, on the other hand, often lose sight of the battle and start thinking of my predicament. Questions like 'how am I going to get up with all this armor on?' and 'who's going to help me?' often dominate my thoughts.

But not so, my little soldier. He somehow knows that I am going to pick him up and set him on his feet again. He trusts me; so he waits. And for some reason, this pleases me.

And it pleases God too when we trust Him enough to wait patiently knowing that soon He'll stand us upright again.

"Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him. " (Psalm 37:24)

JUST GET OVER IT

I'm usually not one to have a pity party for myself. But for some reason this week I did. Maybe it was hormones, maybe it was too little sleep, or maybe it was too much me and not enough Jesus. Whatever the reason, my innerself was whining:

I don't want to stay late at work - let somebody else do it.

So-and-so forgot my birthday - how could they hurt me like that?

I never have enough time to do the things I want to do.

All this self-pity came to a head yesterday morning during my Morning Prayer time. Feeling rather hurt and wounded from the week's circumstances, I began by praying Psalm 42:5:

"Why art thou cast down o my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God..."

Thinking God was sympathetic to my plight, I told God my whole sappy tale. But after a few minutes, it was clear He wasn't buying it. Frustrated I opened my devotional book and read:

"Dew will never gather while there is either heat or wind... Many Christians do not recognize the importance of the heavenly dew in their lives..."

Ouch! Obviously, my agitated spirit was preventing the heavenly dew. The realization of this helped me to calm down and wait quietly for God's direction. Within minutes, God reminded me of a conversation I had with my friend Sally*this week.

Sally and I were discussing work related stresses with another co-worker, when she looked at us and said; "Just get over it." We tried to tell her it wasn't that easy, but she gave us a wry smile, lifted her index finger, made a hurdle jumping motion with it, and repeated; "Just get over it." We had a good laugh, and found ourselves using that simple hand gesture as a reminder to "Just get over it."

Needless to say, I got God's message loud and clear: "Just get over it."

And so I found myself with a choice. I could be miserable and keep feeling sorry for myself. Or, I could get over it, and have a good day. I chose the latter and joy flooded my spirit within moments.

Amazing isn't it? Joy is a choice. Who'd have thought? From now on, I will choose joy whether I feel like it or not. What about you? What will you choose when the next obstacle comes your way?