“Mommy, please may I watch Bible Stories, please, please, please Mommy!!!“ he asks with deep yearning. “Ok Seth. Which story would you like to watch?“ I ask, knowing the echo of his words to come. “David and Goliath, Mommy!“ he replies jumping up and down.
Where a young boy is worshiping God.
He is about to face the biggest battle of his life.
All within the walls and windows of our living room.
Soon though, I hear him say, “Pause it Mommy, pause it please”, while the pattering of his feet scurry quickly down the hallway. “Where is it Mommy, where is it, I can’t find it Mommy”, he begins to ask in urgency even a four year old shouldn’t be able to yet ask in. ‘What honey, where is what?“ I reply knowing full well what he is looking for. “My David costume, Mommy, my David costume silly girl!“ he reply’s with the kind of disbelief that only a grown up should have. “Oh, sure honey, let me come and get that for you,“ I reply, walking down to his bedroom.
Finding the box his costume is in, he begins to pull out the oversized, pale brown T-shirt, which hangs down well past his knees, asking for help as he try’s to put in on himself. “Let me do it!” he states earnestly, trying to learn how to tie his satin green belt around his waist. As he dances in rhythmic back and forth motions, he practices his twirling of his sling. “Did you know that Goliath is really tall and strong, Mommy?” he asks, as I’m draping the Indian brown frayed strap that crosses diagonal down his shoulder to his waist. “Yes, he is very strong isn’t he, I reply while hanging his bag of rocks at his side. While excitedly pulling away from me towards the door, I say, “Don’t forget your headband and sandals, honey!” “Oh, yah, that‘s right, Mommy!“ He replies in a gingerly giggle.
As we prepare for battle, I sense the urgency for his role in this story.
After strapping the straps of his sandals, urgently he takes off running, getting but half way down the hall, when he then comes racing back to the room. Reaching over his spy basket which sets on the closet floor, he reaches to get his duct tape covered cardboard sword, shield, and spear, along with his “real” play sword he got for Christmas.
We are now, ready for battle.
As my little David runs back down the hall, I follow and take the VCR off of pause. He stands in front of the T.V. as the story continues.
And he stands, prepared.
Prepared for that moment, to protect the lambs.
Prepared for that moment, to protect his people.
Prepared for that moment, where the battle belongs to the Lord.
Soon I hear him moving about, swinging and slinging his swords. The scene where the lion attacks David’s lamb reveals his first victory. And then, we learn about his victory over the bear.
Soon after that, we learn of the battle looming high upon the horizon. A battle of which he will not be allowed to fight in.
But, David does not let what others say, keep him from the courage and call that courses through his heart.
He believes, that God, is with him.
Though just a slingshot and some rocks in hand, from where I am sitting, the music reveals the story‘s increasing stakes where a small young boy is about to face a Giant even the best of men, the most experienced of men, would not dare to fight. A fight anyone David’s age, could not win.
But, David, saw this battle differently.
He saw it, as already won.
“Ha ha ha…who will fight me?!” I hear Seth say, in the meanest four year old voice he can muster.
“I will” he transitions into David and his tiny 4 yr. old voice.
“You; you are just a boy! Do you think I’m a dog, that you come to me, with sticks and stones.” I hear him gravel and grovel, imitating Goliath.
I ever so slightly turn my head so as to see him…but I catch his watching glance as he says, “M-O-M” in a slow and frustrated please stop watching me kind of way. And so I go back to typing on the computer, pretending to be fully engaged in my very important don’t interrupt me kind of business.
“You come to me with a spear and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord”. he says with the kind of conviction, even I hope to have, while facing my battles.
He moves to the left. Then he ducks his head down moving to the right, throwing his spear. Legs apart, face held fast with determined fervor, he twirls his slingshot with precision and skill.
Then, the rock soars through the air-
‘THUD”!
He falls down, like Goliath.
Then, he gets up, picks up his sword, and says, “I will cut your head off”.
The climactic drama has come to an end, and it’s on with "Act Three", where he sits out the rest of the story on our plum sofa, asking, “Snack please, Mommy?”
Seth loves to pretend he is in a battle, right now. And he likes to dress up in his armor. He loves his shield, swords, spear’s and knives. All of which Mommy and Daddy made for him out of duct tape and cardboard. He loves the feeling of swinging them back and forth, grunting with loud noises as to say, “Look how strong I am!“. He sees every stick, as a potential sword, for the next big battle. He loves to play with his spy robots, bugs, and dinosaurs all within a battle, duke-ing it out between the herbivores and the carnivore’s, the insects and the arachnids. To be David one moment, and Goliath the next. He loves acting out the bible story’s.
I have been feeling a bit of ‘Mommy worry’ as he continues to enjoy these battles, wondering why it has to always be a ‘fighting” game. He’s loved story and acting since he was young enough to use sign language for the word, “story”, at 6 months old. And of course, he is forever wanting to tell a new story, about everything and anything.
As I have been musing upon his passion for ‘fighting’ with all his “weapons”, I’m reminded of my own fight, daily. It doesn’t look the same in the natural realm, but isn’t’ it, really?
Don’t we have many different ways we fight, using weapons such as our words. Our looks. Our tones. Our attitudes. Our silence. Our anger. Our body language. Isn’t there a quote, “your body says a thousand words?”
Or maybe it’s what we don’t do, and do instead. Maybe it’s what we don’t say and say, instead. Maybe it’s what we don't pray, and pray instead. What we don't give, and do instead.
But, do we recognize these things, as weapons?
The kind that, are fighting against and apart, from God?
What did David say;
“you come to me with a sword, with a shield, and with a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord. For the battle belongs to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 17:45)
How do we battle? Do we battle, in the name of the Lord?
Or do we battle in the name, of “what about me?”
And in doing so, loose a part of ourselves, and take a part of others, in the process, never meant to be lost or taken?
I was considering what David took, with him into his battle, when it occurred to me, to consider- what David was doing before he entered, the battle.
He was worshipping.
He was playing his harp, for a king.
It pleased the king.
He was protecting, his lambs.
And when it came time for a battle to be fought, he hurried to the frontlines with fervor.
He fought, with faith in a God, that won battles for him in the past. Battles that no one believed, he’d really fought.
Seth…believes he will win. Every time. Seth, believes in a King, who wins battles. He believes in a God who is with him, everywhere he goes. Seth worships, God. The same God, David worshiped. Seth loves to battle. He loves to fight. He loves to swing his sword, stick, spear, all in the name of, fun play.
And, in the name of our Lord. But, mostly in the name of lots of fun.
I remind him all the time, asking, “who’s side are we on, sweetheart?“ “God’s Mommy!“ “That’s right, honey, God’s side!“, I reply with confident conviction. But, one day…
he will have to wield those weapons, in ways that may not be, so fun.
And, when it matters more than ever, he will have to choose a side to be on.
He will have to decide, what weapons he'll use.
What battles he will fight.
Will he take fun?
Or, will he carry with him, what Paul tells us, in Ephesians 6:10-18.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devils schemes…..Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand…..
With the belt of truth buckled around your waist.
The breastplate of righteousness in place.
Your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace.
The shield of faith- of which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
The helmet of salvation.
The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
This is the armor, I can only pray he will wear, all the days- of his life.
This is the armor that won, David’s battles.
This is the armor, that will win ours.
This is a choice, I cannot make for Seth. But, I can pray he will. And, I pray that I will help him learn, how to put it on.
So, that one day, when ultimately he learns the battle is for his very life, he will reach inside the truth of God's word, and have hidden within his heart, five smooth stones, like David did.
Knowing for certain, the battle truly does, belong to the Lord.
Dear King and Warrior,
There are many young boys and girls, who have battles before them. Some, are in fun. Others, are for their very life. And those battles are right within, the very walls and windows of their own living room. Many of these battles, are urgently awaiting rescue. Thank you dear King and Warrior, for fighting their battles for them, even if unseen. Lead them, in their loneliness. Let them not be forgotten. Let them not, get away from, Your ever enveloping hand.
Others, are urgently longing for role to play. They are ready for battle. They are on, the frontlines of a very dark, dark war. Shed Your light, upon that path of which they trod the territory of the evil one. Hide them from their foe, and lead them into the everlasting paths of Your redemptive plan.
Keep them Father, prepared for the battle that will most definitely ensue, sooner than they know. Help them …as they protect the little lambs surrounding them. Help them, see those lambs, who need them.
Others, Lord, are struggling to believe You are with them. Courage does not course through their heart, but they long for it to. Help them to see You, where you seem, unseen. Help them to see it, as already won.
And Father, please, help our son, Seth, not to listen to what other's say, but rather continue on with even greater courage, and more certain a call upon his life while he's young, coursing through his heart, that he might when he's old, still believe, the battle belongs to You.
Father, I too, have been midst many battles. I’m facing one right now. I don’t always face them, with the courage, faith and heart that David did. I don’t always, worship, as quickly as David did, either.
But, I know, that I cannot face any battle, without worship. Without, You.
And even in my quivering, and my tremendously quenched, with pain, heart…help me to somehow believe, … know,
it pleases You.
My worship, pleases You!
For it is in this place, that I will be putting my armor on.
It is in this place, the unseen battle that hovers all around, is fought with it’s mightiest of victory’s.
It is in this place, I must learn to fight, live out the fight, and love through the fight…
For it is ever before me.
Teach me Lord and King, how to battle, …
on my knees.
On my face.
So, that,….when I come face to face with the lies, of the enemy…
he will see my sling of prayer, and tire…
He will see once again, that the battle
Belongs not to him,
But to a King…
Who has already won.
