Guest Blogger: Becky Doughty

My Great Adventure – Living on the Front Lines

My name is Becky Doughty, and I’m a friend and fellow Braveheart to Jennifer. She asked me to share with you my great adventure… but as I started thinking over my life, I realized that every day is another great adventure. Every day there’s another battle to fight, another victory to celebrate, another loss to mourn, another wound to heal, another moment to cherish. Every day, every breath, is a great adventure.

As J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan says, “To live will be an awfully big adventure.”

TODAY is my great adventure.

But the question bears asking, then; How am I going to live this day?

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Do you remember the scenes in Braveheart where the Scots, led by an axe-wielding, blue-faced William Wallace, come sweeping down the hill into the valley to meet the British? How about the Battle of Helms Deep when a glorified Gandalf the White descends upon the Uruk-hai? Or one of my favorites; in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, when the newly-crowned King Peter, in all his youth, uncertainty and inexperience, raises his sword to lead an out-numbered army against the forces of tyranny and darkness. My mother-heart quakes in my bosom... but my warrior-heart sings like a finely-honed sword being drawn from its sheath.

The Front Lines. When you take a stand, when you accept the crown of inheritance to the throne, you automatically go straight to the front lines. Do not pass the snack bar, do not collect applause and adoration. It’s the “Toss ‘em in - they’ll learn to swim!” theory, the fine print on the Serve the Mightiest King in the Universe contract that no one really takes the time to read.

Come on. Can’t a girl watch from the sidelines for a while? Y’know, see how it’s done?  Or maybe work my way up to the front lines as I become more and more certain of my skills? How about if I start somewhere in the middle so that I’m covered on all sides by those who have a little more experience than I do?

Ok. Let’s really think about this: No honor is awarded to those on the sidelines. And advancing through the ranks on my own merit robs my Captain of the honor that is due Him. Starting in the middle? Well, isn’t that just putting my faith in man? I mean, what if my comrade (the one I’m hiding behind) gets distracted and leads me off course? What if he falls? Or is taken captive? What if he blocks my view of the enemy and all I can do is strike out blindly, hoping that I’m armed with the right weapon? What if he blocks my view of the Captain altogether and I forget Who I am fighting for?

On the front lines, however, I get a much clearer picture of the assault mounted against me and I can adjust my defense accordingly. On the front lines, I know who is behind me - the army of the Lord! But even more important, on the front line, I have an unobstructed view of the Captain of the Angel Armies, the Son of God, the Ruler of Heaven and Earth. There is nothing standing between me and my Leader. I may not know the intricacies of the battle plan, I may not even understand why this specific battle must be fought, but I know the face and voice of my Leader, and as long as my eyes stay trained on Him, my ears stay tuned to His command, and my faith remains in He who is ALREADY VICTORIOUS, I know that I’m where I need to be for this moment.

                       

1 John 5:4-5

“Whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God!”

You want adventure? I’ll look for you on the front lines. TODAY!