We just sent a son who is a young husband and daddy into a war zone.   The fear of us losing our son, the fear of my grandbabies losing their daddy, the fear of my daughter (in-love and law) losing her beloved, mixed with the gut-wrenching realization that his greatest act of bravery was walking out his own front door, has been overwhelming at best. He is off to fight the evil that is devouring the Middle East.  Some call it ISIS or al-Qaida.  The name changes by country and tribe. I call the evil, Satan.  The father of lies goes by many names.  Why allow him delight by letting him assume we think it’s anyone other than him? The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  John 10:10

What makes this so different, we ask.  So cognizant am I of the fact that each of my children could walk out the door and never return.  So cognizant that the beating of their hearts can be silenced by one swipe of tragedy’s sword.  So, why, after months of preparing for separation and being gifted the opportunity to speak with this son from deep places, why is my mother’s heart only able to groan?  What makes this so different?  I force reason upon my irrational thoughts, yet I find myself in tears and I can feel my soul tracings fluttering in my chest, they are out of healthy rhythm.  They are out of sync with God’s intention.  It becomes a complete physical reaction and then I shame myself into reasoning this truth:  Any of my precious ones could walk out the door for the last time….today.  Yet, I return to the “but this is so different” plea.

So, as I am flying my Stars and Stripes, searching the web for yellow ribbons and being all proud Army Mom, I am praying like I never have before.  I am dreaming up things to mail and ways to honor him. I am hypervigilant in regards to Satan’s work “over there”.  I’m just on it, learning about tribes and regional conflicts and maps.  Because this is just different, right?

But wait……..”WAIT!”, cries out the Holy Spirit within…….He, The Comforter, the Holy Spirit given to me through Jesus’ death on the cross, had to go beyond the gentle whispers that he prefers to communicate with.  He had to cry out, to yell over the noise of my fear.  

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 1 Cor 2:13

And so I listen………

Don’t be so deceived.  Don’t be so ignorant.  Your precious son chose this in obedience to God’s calling over seven years ago.  He is in OUR (sweet trinity’s) WILL FOR HIS LIFE!  Woman, you are misguided right now. WE LOVE HIM MORE. You, momma bear, are wrong. IT IS NOT DIFFERENT! You will not like what I need you to understand, but hear this and let it soak into every fiber of your being until you embrace it.  Let it dictate your every matriarchal thought, prayer and reaction, for in MY wisdom is the peace you are looking for.  In MY wisdom I’m going to show you that there is NO difference between the son sent to war in a far away land and your children here at home.

Momma, honor your Army son in a way that will make a difference, by recognizing his sibs on American soil are also soldiers.  Your son wants that.  You have the choice, Momma, to make his service benefit more than the strangers he fights for in a foreign land,  He is fighting for your entire family’s freedom to speak freely in his homeland, to boldly claim The Cross without being beheaded. Teach them they are in a war zone in America! SHOW them how to be my warriors. Recognize that every day, they are in danger of the same Satanic schemes your grown soldier is at war with.  Have a righteous fear for the dangers at home.  Work with me, dear mom. Continue reading →