"When You Are On A Journey, Walk With The
Warrior(s)"
As I sat on the plane headed back from Joint Base, San
Antonio, Texas, I was flanked on the left by my husband, Ian, and on my right
by my Daddy and Mama, Chet and Shirle Millstead…..
…..and, those
words came to my mind
I've learned
over my fifty-two years when that happens, to jot it down because God is going
to bring me back to it some day. So, I
pulled out my little, worn-out spiral notebook and wrote…
"When you are on a journey, walk with the
warriors"
A fitting thought considering the
event which I had just attended….my twin sons' Airman run, Coin Ceremony, and
Graduation from Basic Military Training with the Kentucky Air National Guard. If you are reading this, it is likely that
you walked my sons' journey through this season with our family so you know we
are embracing all things military
And, that is
as it should be
That's what families
and friends do
They walk
with us
As I get older, I roll my eyes less
as those who have such passion in their lives and instead, send arrow prayers
heavenward that such a people still exist in a world where pain, suffering and
meanness would rob us of our joy
Because,
that is what life would do
Rob us of
our joy
If we let it
It's a
conscious choice, this claim of joy or despair
I know this
as truth in my life and I know many of you know this as well
Life would
swallow us up with migraine, cancer, and surgical errors. It would pull us down with divorce,
miscarriage and soft-disfellowship. It
would bless the lying tongue, the rogue pretender, and lift up mental illness
so severe that a soul might give up.
Parents and children would fight, husbands and wives would paint faux
picket fences, and some would just remove themselves from their daily walk
because the pain was too great
Life here
on earth is a hard walk
Which is
exactly why God didn't leave Adam all alone….he gifted him with Eve so that
when they walked, it was with another by his/her side
It's why He
gives us families, by any definition….blood, foster, across the pond adoption
or at a concrete venue stand in the middle of Lackland Air Force Base
Evidence of
His great love for us is His faithful, personal companionship, his sharing of
His son, and his blessing us with family and friends
The truth
is, we can chose who we walk with in most cases…
Really
We can….
Which is why
it is so important that we chose wisely
Which is why
it is so important that we seek God's direction….because only He knows our
future steps and who will be a blessing in our lives and who will be a
blessings' opposite
And, even
when we have our free will to choose our walking partners, sometimes God will
place those we did not chose and asks us to just love them…in His name… as we
walk together
So, that is
what I want to spend the rest of the days God gives me doing
Loving
Unconditionally
And, being
grateful for those who do the same for and with me
For, truth
is…..
We cannot do
this thing called life alone
We cannot
We shall not
We dare not
Rather…..
What I am
learning, what God is laying on my heart, what I encourage my soul, my spirit;
my person-hood to do is…
"Walk
with the warrior(s)"
And, that is
what I chose to do…..starting today and then tomorrow and the day after that….
And, I plan
to make that a conscious choice every day and here is why…
Because
it is the WARRIORS in this life who know the way HOME…..
You know who
I am talking about…you can name them by name…you have witnessed their faith walk,
prayer journeys, battles in this life.
We all have warriors among us….those who chose faith in God through all
of their circumstances, both good and sad.
Those who lived authentically, sharing their sorrow and sadness but not
living in it, choosing rather to rise up in faith and truth…toward the cross
You know
warriors even this minute who are soon to make that journey home so they can
rest…
The humble
Billy Graham said in his own book that he is tired and ready to go
"home", but that until he receives his call, he will live the warrior
life until the end.
It's these
followers-in-truth who have kept the faith, fought the good fight, finished the
race, heads held high with arms even higher.
They point the way…leave deep foot prints for our following
How can I be
so confident of this?
Because…..in
faith, in truth, in the reality of our souls, we know the ultimate Warrior…
The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name
(Exodus
15:3)
And, there
is no one, not even my Viet Nam Veteran Daddy nor my newly appointed Airmen
sons whom I would rather follow than the Lord…
But, I don't
want to walk this journey alone…
Join me?
Please
Let's do
this thing together….
Blessings,
Lesa
