A DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER

OK, this is a great story – with a good lesson.

Ready?


My sons went on a business trip a few weeks ago.  Stayed in a hotel for a few days.  And, if you happen to be two young men with big appetites, staying in a hotel is a good thing.

Can you say…?

Free breakfast buffet.

Son #2 (the early bird) got up bright and early the first morning and decided to go get something to eat.  He graciously invited Son #1 to accompany him.  Son #1 (the night owl) mumbled something incoherent that sounded something like "Not now…sleepy..."

So, Son #2 dressed up in his slacks, his dress shoes - no socks - and an undershirt (I would have given money to see that get-up!) and headed down the elevator.

When the doors opened, the first thing he saw was a large and scary man dressed in camouflage clothes pointing a very large weapon directly at his heart.

Yes.

AT. HIS. HEART.

He told me the only thing he had time to think was, "I'm dead."

Scary camouflage-man quickly whispered to him, "Are you going to breakfast?"

"Uh yeah," my son answered.

With a quick move, the large and scary man shifted to the first floor hallway, took up a defensive position, and motioned with the weapon toward the lobby.

My son left.

When he arrived in the lobby, he encountered another very large and scary man.  Assuming this was the commander (his brain now moving past "I'm dead" to "Huh, must be a SWAT situation"), he stopped.  Well, he was commanded to stop – and questioned – and ID'd.

The commander informed Son #2 that there was a fugitive situation in the hotel on the first floor.

And, in no uncertain terms, there would be NO breakfast.

At which time, my youngest retraced his steps back, where he was once again weapon-motioned toward the elevator.

No one got breakfast that morning.

When it was time for the sons to go to their meeting, they had to call down first, quickly leave the elevator, meet and greet Mr. Commander – and be questioned and ID'd again – before they could leave the hotel.

Well, I'm happy to say the situation was resolved peacefully.

But, the joke of the day was Son #2's reaction to having a weapon pointed at him.

Did he close the elevator doors and go back up to his room?

Oh no…not that son.

He KEPT ON GOING to breakfast.

When he told me this story (long after they had arrived home from their trip, thank goodness!), I asked him about this.

"Why did you keep going to the lobby?  What were you thinking??"

His answer?

"I was hungry."

Yup, just like that.  Matter-of-fact and to-the-point.


That's the great story.

Here's the good lesson.


You know, we so often walk through our days without thinking.  Normal routines, normal activities, normal places.  We don't often think we're going to face danger.

But, as believers, we are in danger all the time.

There's a devouring lion on the prowl.  He lies in wait, he hunts us down. He's always ready to pounce with unexpected attacks.

And once in a while, we might just find ourselves with one of his weapons pointed directly at our hearts.

Yes.

AT. OUR. HEARTS.

But this is the crucial moment.  The moment of decision.

In the face of his onslaught, his assault, his ambush – what should we do?

I'm afraid that I would not follow Son #2's example.

I'm afraid that I'd be inclined to back up into that elevator, push the button, and retreat to the confines of my room.

I'd cower.

And even though I would have preferred that my son had done the same in his real-life SWAT situation  – in some ways, I admire him.

He went about his business.  He walked on undeterred.

Why?

Because he was hungry.

He had a mission – and he just kept going.


This is the lesson I'm taking away.

There are going to be times when unanticipated danger is going to come our way.  For we have a dangerous enemy.

But we must not let him back us down or send us running.  We must not allow him to force us to hide.

Let the SWAT team take care of the danger.  (Sharon's Acrostic Dictionary defines SWAT this way):

S avior
W ins
A ll the
T ime

Us?

We should just keep going about our godly business, walking on undeterred.

For we have a mission!

Carry on, my friends…carry on!

These shoes are made for walkin',
and that's just what they'll do. 

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8, NLT)

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12, NIV)


What does the enemy use to deter, detain, or distract you from God's mission?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Hazel at TELL ME A TRUE STORY
Jen at UNITE
Darlene at TITUS 2SDAY
Salina at HEART REFLECTED
Nannette at WISDOM WEDNESDAY
Rachel at WHIMSICAL WEDNESDAY
Rosilind at A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAY
Jenifer at WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Judith at WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY
Wanda at THE FRIDAY FIVE
Laura at FAITH FILLED FRIDAY
Leslie at FAITHFUL FRIDAY
Mel at ESSENTIAL FRIDAYS
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS
Sandra at STILL SATURDAY
Barbie at WEEKEND BREW
Janis at SUNDAY STILLNESS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"