When Martin Luther King embarked on his mission, he signed his death warrant and he knew he signed his death warrant. And he’d thought about it before. Am I willing to die for these things? Yes.”       ~GBeck

I say this to myself this morning more than any of you reading this…

“Do I know as a Christian for what I am willing to die?”

Have I even given thought to the fact that at some point in the future, I may have to actually make that decision?  If I am put into that position, have I given thought to what might be my answer?

No

I have not, not as I should at least….

But, I am changing that

Daily

I am convinced that the more I force myself to know for whom/what/why I believe, the better will be my life, my ability to make decisions, my ability to increase commitment and compassion

When you don’t know what you are willing to stand for,

You may just “fall” for anything (I think there is a song about this somewhere)

I think of my Dad…a Viet Nam Veteran…an under-respected war during a season of great disrespect for our country and those who serve

He knew when he signed up that he was putting his life on the line….

He knew (though not to the degree) that the Viet Nam war was not popular

He knew that he was leaving behind a young wife and two small children

He knew….

A lot of things….

And, yet, when his name was called, he went

He didn’t go kicking and screaming.  He didn’t go complaining about the unfairness of going into a war which was unpopular and unwelcome.  He didn’t go with an irreverent attitude.

My Daddy went with honor into a place he preferred not to go, leaving behind people he did not want to leave for a purpose he did not necessarily respect, for what?

Because he decided early on that He was going to serve God who wrote a Book to guide us as we live this life here on earth.  And, that Book told him/us to honor the law of our land, to “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s”…not in blind faith but in respectful heart knowing some things are meant to be given over and over to God’s wise and discerning handling 

He decided early on that he would place His faith in God and then walk in God’s direction

The only true map he had was and is The Bible

The only reason he used that map…the Bible…

Was because HE Chose FAITH

He chose purposefully for what, in Whom, and for when he would believe

He has never been willy nilly about it

And yet, I can think of no person for whom my Daddy does not hold love

Even in my most sinful of times, Daddy (and Mama) loved me

When I was disobedient, disrespectful, and dishonorable

They loved me

They love me still

Did I know they disagreed with my decisions?

Yes

But, their disagreement was trumped by 

Their love for me

Their love for me kept me alive until I could see God’s will for me

And, they loved me through the good and the bad because of their faith and belief that our God’s greatest commandment to each other is to

LOVE ONEANOTHER

That is why it is the greatest command

Unconditional love is not a “pass” to do, think, act, and live wrong lives

It means that you never give up on a person….ever

It means that you pray, you guide, and you live by example

It means you point your loved ones to a God whose whole existence is to seek and save the lost…so much so that he laid His arms out in humble love and died for all 

And, I believe with all of my heart that my Daddy…and Mama did this because they KNEW for whom they lived, they believed

They don’t pound us children, you friends, you family with their belief in God

They live it every day in how they live their lives

They won’t always be here to guide me and my siblings…I can see that clearly

Their faces are etched deep with life lines from pain, sorrow, joy and abundant love

They raise their hands in church to a God they will soon see….

Because they know…..

They know for Whom they are willing to die while they live their time here on earth

It starts with dying to self….our wants, our needs, our wishes, our beliefs in favor of living for His truths, His wants, His needs, His wishes and His Holy being

I  believe we will all have to answer the question...

"Who  am I willing to die for?"

We need to be figuring that out.

Blessings,

Lesa