A Waking Dream For My Comrades In Arms

I awoke with a challenge.

A challenge to my character, to my beliefs,

to my very soul.

A challenge so bold cannot be attempted alone. (Proverbs 17:17)

So, I look to my left, and to my right,

and I call you; my brothers in Christ to join me in this quest. (Proverbs 27:17)

A quest not to follow down the path that I call 'The Great Descent'.

Where a man's greatest ambition is to just to 'get through the day'. (Ecclesiastes 4:5)

He revels in being a 'guy' and not a man. (Proverbs 10:23a, 27:22; Romans 1:28)

He calls his buddies friend,

but in truth they are only acquaintances. (Proverbs 18:24; 20:6)

Too prideful, too ashamed to admit he needs

a Savior every moment of the day. (Proverbs 28:13-14)

He stands alone in the midst of many.

Let us not be like those 'guys',

the ones of Thoreau's observation:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation"

They cower when they should take action.

They remain silent when they should speak.

They speak when they should stay silent.

They are desperate when they should have faith.

So then,

let us aspire to be men.

And if we are to lead,

let us lead with the servitude of Christ. (Luke 22:24-27)

but if we are to follow,

let us pick up our cross and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24)

If we are to be quiet,

let us listen to the words we can’t deny. (Psalm 37:7, 46:10)

But if we are to speak,

let us speak the very words of GOD. (Psalm 119:46)

If we are to be desperate,

let us be desperate for our Savior. (Psalm 42:1)

If we are to live,

let us truly live.

Let us stand on the Truth that sets us free. (John 8:36)

Let us take risks without doubting. (Proverbs 16:9,33)

Let us live with passion and purpose. (Matthew 6:20-21; James 1:5-6)

Let us run with strength and perseverance. (Isaiah 40:31; Hebrews 12:1)

Let us stumble and fall...yes even fall,

but fall on the Grace of Jesus Christ, (Hebrews 4:16)

so that He can use each of us to pick one another up, (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

and continue this magnificent race that we so flippantly call 'life'.

These words were given to me in the middle of the night December 10th. They were too moving to me to keep them to myself, so I shared them with some close male friends. They are a product of two years of pursuing Christ. These years have been abundant; full of joy and heartache, enlightenment and frustration, clarity and confusion, acceptance and rejection, peace and turmoil, some obedience but more disobedience, a few victories but many more defeats... but all of these things brought 'growth', so I will praise my GOD with part of Hezekiah's poem in:

Isaiah 38:14-20

I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!

But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.

Lord, by such things men live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.

Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.

For the grave cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.

The living, the living—they praise you,
as I am doing today;
fathers tell their children
about your faithfulness.

The LORD will save me,
and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the temple of the LORD.

"Be Thou My Vision"

Be thou my vision, oh lord of my heart

Nought be all else to me, save that thy art

Thou my best thought in the day and the night

Waking or sleeping, thou presence my light

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word

I ever with thee and thou with me lord

Thou my great father and I thy true son

Thou in me dwelling and I with thee one

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight

Be thou my armour and be thou my might

Thou my soul shelter, and thy my high tower

Raise thou me heavenwards, oh power of my power

Riches I need not, nor mans empty praise

Thou mine inheritance through all of my days

Thou and thou only though first in my heart

High king of heaven my treasure thou art

Oh high king of heaven, when battle is done

Grant heavens joy to me, bright heaven sun

Christ of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, though ruler of all

Now, many months later I decided to post this here. Maybe it will speak to someone.