My Mother suffered from heart disease almost my whole life. I was eight when she had her first heart attack, nine when she had her second and ten when she had open heart surgery. Anytime the woman had a pain, or trouble breathing we feared it was another heart attack. She later developed congestive heart failure due to arteries with blockage that no surgery could fix, every time she went into the hospital we feared she would surely die.
After awhile those fears turned into expectation and we became content in the midst of those terrifying ER visits. We began expecting that she would at some point die from heart complications. However, we laughed and joked at the same time that after all the years of suffering, something else would get her, and not her heart. We basically prayed and laughed in the face of danger.
Little did I know that as I prayed for God to remove the battle we were fighting, that in a great way this time of stress, fear and danger prepared me for the life of being a police and military wife, and police mother. While more likely the officer/soldier was called to their line of duty, a spouse just marries into it and with all that’s going on today, she needs to be prepared.
From where I sit, I see that we need to be expecting death and be prepared for it. Our officers/soldiers are in danger, and we must keep the faith and laugh in the face of that danger.
From where I sit the battle is not black vs white or vice versa. The battle is fear, and it lives on both sides. While no one will admit they are fearful because of the lie that fear is a weakness the results are that there are many dying. And because of the unique situation of law vs lawlessness there is an expectation on the officers/soldiers side that almost everyone is a potential lawbreaker.
All tribes must practice and teach respect of self, property and respect for others. Until this is a solid…fear will remain.
Mom and I laughed in the face of danger, kept our faith and in 2003 she died from complications due to a stroke.
How will you laugh in the face of your danger?
Join me as we pray for each other, our officers/soldiers and pray for our enemies as we continue to be prepared expecting the worse, but holding onto hope for the better. Let us model for and teach our children respect for authority while we influence those around us to do the same.
Lord, I know that you hear and see what is happening here. I come to you now asking you to work in the hearts of men and women, realizing that it is the same battle you saw several thousand years ago in the hearts of the Israelites. Teach us to laugh in the midst of our battles knowing that you will deliver your people. In Jesus name amen.
As I write this….I just can’t help but think of the lines from the movie the Lion King:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKPpFBdJlQw