And Having Done All, to Stand

Some days are just plain hard; it's a fact of life.  You have to grit your teeth and dig in your heels and just stand there through the battle of life swirling around you.  Sometimes you take a stab at the foes coming against you, and sometimes you just hold up that shield in front of you to keep the fire that comes from the dragon's mouth from scorching you head to toe.  But you have to stand.  You can't run away from it, because then you're dead meat.

I've studied the Roman centurion's armor.  This is the same armor worn by perhaps the greatest pre-modern Empire, and, dare I say, one of the greatest Empires of all time.  I hesitate using the words Old World, because the Greeks and the Romans helped usher us into the new world, and gave us all ideas of diplomacy and democracy that we use to this day.  But I digress.  I was speaking of the great Roman battle uniform. 

They wore a helmet of metal, covering their heads from the back of the neck to the nose, with ears, eyes, mouth, and chin exposed.  They wore a coat of mail or a breastplate that covered the torso, metal shin guards that were held on by leather strips tied around the back, shoes, a sword, and a shield, also made of metal.  Belted around the waist in skirt like fashion was either the continuation of the coat of mail or leather strips to help protect the area below the waist and their thighs.  And they had assorted smaller weapons, as well.

Do you notice what is missing?  The greatest foot army that ever dominated the world and they had little to protect the back side.  They couldn't make the decision to turn tail and run lightly.  If they turned their backs, they were dead meat.  Deeply ingrained in their strategic design and in their minds were the effective thought of ever going forward, and rarely retreating.  They advanced or they stood their ground, together.  They may have been pushed back, but they faced the enemy head on.

Some days I go forward, some days I feel I am pushed back, and some days I just stand my ground.  There are other days, too.  Some days, between battles, I rest.  Those days are desperately needed to recover and to heal, and to prepare for the next day's warfare.  Those days are like Heaven!  Yesterday was such a day.  After church, I came home, made lunch for the kids and slept.  After an entire week of very little sleep, my husband sweetly put me to bed and took care of the kids for me the entire afternoon. 

I am so thankful for my husband.  I know there are many mothers who don't have a husband, or don't have one who lets them rest.  To those women, I salute you!  And I pray a special blessing over you, and grace, and a way to be able to rest between the battles. 

We live in a world of war, a war against the world that would lead our children astray, and call them to stand up for what they think is right in their own eyes rather than what is actually right.  So we fight for them, and fight fiercely, until they are able to fight for themselves.  And then, still, we fight alongside them.  And sometimes, we just stand.  Yesterday, I rested.  Today, I stand, ready to fight.