WARRIOR V

Anyone familiar with this sort of scenario?

Mom: (stops what she’s doing to speak with child who is running out the door)

Put a helmet on if you’re riding your bicycle, skateboarding, or scootering.

Kid: Why?

Mom: (Cheerfully) Because I love you and I want to protect you, honey.

Kid: But why?

Mom: (Kneels down to look directly at child) Because I treasure your existence and will do

everything I can to keep you safe. Please put this helmet on, sweetheart.

Kid: (whining) I don’t want to. Why do I have to wear that?

Mom: (stands up and puts hands on hips) Because research has shown that it decreases

brain injuries dramatically and sometimes can even save you from death.

Kid: Huh? No way.

Mom: (clenching teeth) I’m not sure what else I can tell you but I will say this. You’ll put

that on because if you fall, you need to save the little grey matter you have!

Kid: That’s not nice. You’re a bad mom!

Mom: (finally shrugs and walks away) Okay. On your head be it. I’m done talking.

Perhaps this escalating sort of scenario resounds with most parents. I, for one, don’t have to wonder if God feels this way about me sometimes, because I know it to be true.

In the summer of 2000 I was feeling particularly strangled at the far end of my rope and I cried out to God to change something. Long story short (besides “be careful what you pray for”) — I hadn’t listened to His still, small (or even loudly shouting) voice, so … I received a brain injury that kept me at home for the next eighteen months. In hindsight, I believe this happened for more than one reason and someday I’ll probably write about it, but for today I'll just say … it was definitely for my own good.

I know—some people believe that only the things we see as good come from God but there are many examples in the Bible where God himself caused havoc to wake people up.

If we belong to Him and decide to stray from His plan, He WILL bring us back.. He loves us that much!

Some of us are more dense than others (pick me!) so our rerouting might be harsher.

What does this have to do with the fifth chunk of armour on our Warrior selves?

Although the helmet was usually the last thing a warrior put on, the HELMET OF SALVATION is where it all begins.. If we don’t accept the salvation Jesus died to give us, we don’t even have a helmet. Without a helmet our mind isn’t protected and with all the deception being thrown at us these days, we not only need the breastplate to guard our hearts, but we absolutely must have our minds protected. That’s precisely what the helmet’s for!

Unlike the scenario above, God doesn’t walk away to leave us to our own devices. If we belong to Him, he’ll be sure to get us back on track. Now THAT'S protection!!

Salvation — the simple yet complex gift that God offers us. It takes faith to believe it and trust that once we do, He holds onto us. God loved the world enough to gift us with His Son. Jesus covered our sins on the cross when he bled for us. We need only to humble ourselves enough to ask for His forgiveness and believe.

Kid: (with eyes cast down) Mommy, I didn’t mean it. You’re not a bad mom. Sometimes I just

don’t like doing what I’m told.

Mom: (kneels down and helps place the helmet on her child’s head) I know. But I just need you to know—

I’m here to make sure you’re protected and kept safe—because … I love you.

Ephesians 6:17a: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (NIV)

Romans 1:16a: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes …” (NIV)

As we end September (already) I know I’ve written this before but I want to tell you, again, that I am praying for you. If anyone has specific requests that you’d like me to pray for, I would be very happy to do that.. You may leave a message here or send an email to: pdjanz11@gmail.com

OF NOTE: If you’ve prayed for our grandson, Sullivan, I want to share an update with you.

10 year old Sully had a mass under his chin that was growing exponentially during the spring and into summer. Over the past months he’s had many tests and many doctor visits, mostly with specialists who all agreed that this mass was benign (whew!) but that he would need to have it surgically removed. All I can say is — then God stepped in.

The mass has now shrunk to such a small size that they’ve decided not to do surgery! Because of the risks of nerve damage they are content to leave it be and deal with it if it should grow larger again.

It’s amazing what prayer, and the power of God, can do. THANK YOU for praying for him!

Cute story: One of the surgeons laughed and told our son-in-law that to get his MRI would “take at least a year”. That very day, they received a letter stating that the MRI was slated for two weeks later.

All I could say was, “that doctor didn’t know how many people were praying.”

God is GOOD, even when we can’t see it.

Pattie Janzen