His Undercover Army

The lines at Disney have nothing on the beer line at an Irish festival. The crowd we were a part of, was purportedly the largest in the somewhat short history of the downtown festival. Bagpipes played loudly under one tent, while the smell of traditional Irish food from another tent blew through the air so thick, it was almost visible to the naked eye. I was in attendance that Saturday night to watch a very special dancer take the stage after the "pipers" were finished.

While most little girls take ballet, tap, or classical dance, my daughter, Mallory, chose Irish dancing. Irish dancing is unique and its beautiful, just like my daughter. Mallory is bold and she's brave and dancing in front of a huge crowd of strangers never phases her. As a father, she makes me so very proud. As I was standing in the crowd waiting for Mallory's group to dance, I noticed a few nuns and a priest from the Catholic church that hosted the festival, walking through the crowd. The nun's distinctive dress (A "habit" perhaps? Forgive me, I'm Lutheran) is quite noticeable in a crowd of "plain clothes" festival attendees. More accurately, it was a sea of green clothing, so naturally the black and white garments stood out.

I watched as the nuns and the priest slowly made their way through the crowd. Everyone seemed to respectfully part the mass of bodies to allow them passage. Most folks smiled as they walked by. If you were in the crowd, you could see the group a block away, giving you plenty of time to stay or get the heck out of dodge, if you so desired. I've got a great deal of respect for a person that dedicates their entire life to living out their faith and serving others. These folks are the uniformed front lines in God's army.

Make no mistake, there is a war going on. A war of good and evil, and as vital and important as the uniformed front lines are, I would argue what's missing in today's battle, what is the key to success, is the strength and commitment of the rest of us. We aren't formally trained, we don't wear a uniform immediately recognizable to others, but none the less, we are capable. God's Army is a volunteer army. He won't force you to join, but enlist you should. 

In 2 Timothy, Paul speaks to Timothy about being a "good soldier for Jesus Christ." Paul tells Timothy that to do so, you must "be strong," and "you must endure hardships." It's a war that can be won, if we "put on the whole armor of God." (Ephesians 6:10-11)

It's the successful business man who humbles himself in order to encourage a young man struggling to find his way in the corporate world. It's the mother of teen-age kids that calls the first time mother and speaks love and encouragement about the difficult season of life. Its the drug addict, now clean, speaking to the lost and hopeless, now a living example of redemption. Like a stealth elite force, we go places, and we do things the uniformed front lines can't.


In this country, unlike other parts of the world, we aren't persecuted for our faith, not really. However, people may make fun of you. People will find ways to try discredit you. The enemy will tell you that you aren't any good and that you aren't making a difference. The enemy will try to convince you that you are ill equipped and the battle field is too dangerous a place for the likes of you. So, be strong. Endure the hardships cloaked in the whole armor of God. Like Mallory: be bold, be brave, be unique, be beautiful, and make your Father proud. Be His undercover Army. 

Much Love, Adam

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