I Got Your Back.

  Joshua 6:16 “…Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!”

 

Some days we shower, we work, we clean, we yell, we cook, we sleep.  Some days are just days.  But sometimes, very rarely, we have a day that changes everything.  One of those days came my way in Oct 2013.  A Kairos moment had begun.

Kai·ros noun (ˈ)kī¦räs\ Greek:  a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action : the opportune, supreme and decisive moment 

I found myself watching a segment on YouTube that spoke briefly about the Biblical character, Joshua.  It was more an aside than anything, but it got my attention.  As I closed the computer, God said to me, “Be Joshua”.

“Huh?”

Then, suddenly, I knew something deep within my spirit almost instantly.  I needed to first claim my territory in order to claim victory over it.

Now, what happened next will, undoubtedly, cause some of you to think I’m off my rocker.  But I’ve decided to speak with full transparency here, and I’m not about to chicken out on post #5.

I decided that for the next 7 days I would do what Joshua did.  I’d walk around my territory – my home.  (Read Joshua 5:13-6:27)  I truly want to see breakthrough in the life of my family.  I thought to myself, “Yes, I’d be willing to walk around my house for a week.”  It didn’t seem too hard.  I went out that afternoon for walk #1.  It was a little tricky because our house is a duplex and I physically can’t walk around it due to our neighbors gate.  So I decided to walk the whole block instead.  I’d be sure to circle my territory then!

Those first steps put something into motion that I am still only beginning to understand.    In the natural, I took a solitary walk around my neighborhood and prayed quietly to myself.   But, one day, I believe I will get to see what started in the spiritual realm when my feet hit the ground that afternoon.

And a lot did happen.  A lot of those things I look forward to sharing with you.  But the first significant thing I learned in this process is one of the best gifts I have ever been given, and that’s what I want to tell you about today.

On morning #2 I had a lot to do.  Steve was away and I needed to take the kids to their schools.  I was hosting our weekly women’s Bible Study and had to finish the treats I’d baked, get the house in order, plus shower, all in a narrow window of time.  But I decided I didn’t want to do these daily walks with the kids in tow, so I needed to circle my neighborhood now – at 8am.  It’s not a terribly long walk anyway.  I’d have enough time…

I started down the footpath directly beside our property and went right into praying.  In no time, I was in my groove and got lost in the moment.  As I made the turn back onto my street, I immediately saw a neighbor friend standing at the edge of her driveway.  She started to wave her hand high in the air to greet me.  She’s blond and beautiful and such a kind person.  I wish I saw her more.  Her smile was a welcome surprise.  She walked towards me, put her arm around me and said, “I’ll walk you home!”.  We live a short 5 houses away from each other and, on that stretch of road, she asked, with a genuine heart, how I was doing.  Then she did something completely unexpected – she started to tell me all the things she loves about me.  She went on and on.  It would have been embarrassing if it wasn’t so wonderful.  We stood outside of my house while she told me about how many people have said kind things about me to her, how she marvels at the things I accomplish, how she wonders if I’m OK taking care of the kids by myself so often, and the list goes on.  At one point the thought crossed my mind, “I have got to get inside, I have 12 women coming to my house soon!”  But my mind quickly returned to the moment, thinking, “who would wish these seconds away?”  And, when she was done, she gave me a huge hug and left to return home.

I walked from my driveway into the house and straight into my kitchen.  By the time my feet had completed that 2nd Joshua walk, it hit me like a wave…

GOD was the one waiting for me at the end of that driveway, 5 houses away.  HE put his loving arm around me and then HE walked me the last steps of my prayer circle home.  HE told me all the things HE knew my heart desperately needed to hear.   HE reminded me that HE sees me and cares about me and HE knows I how often have to do things all alone.

I sat on the floor of my kitchen and cried.  Much like I’m doing as I write this now.  All I did was decide to take a walk around my block, and He met me there.  Who does that?  Who cares that perfectly for us?  Who knows our heart so well, that He would enlist the help of a beautiful, kind neighbor to make sure I know that: HE SEES ME?

That was day #2 and the remaining days took me on a ride from which I’m still feeling the effects.  But more on that later.

This is what I want to say:  You don’t have to “Be Joshua”.  You can BE YOU and do those things that will give you victory rights in your own life.  But it will require that you actually do something.  And your something is going to be different than mine.  What’s your first step going to be?  And what will you set in motion when you take it?