go get your pom poms and prepare to battle

When I was in second grade, I took part in a talent show at my public elementary school. For my act, I performed a song "Our God is an Awesome God" and translated it in sign language. I thought nothing of it. I liked the song, the opportunity came up, so I sang it. It wasn't until this past Sunday night at church that it came to my mind what a big deal that was....so this was nearly 14 years later. My dad was testifying at church about how I sang this Christian song at a public school, which is normally not something endorsed, and I was so unphased by what people thought. And it's true, never before had I considered that what I did may have been controversial in some people's eyes or that some people may have for the first time heard about Christ, or heard that song, or maybe my 2nd grader voice left someone inspired. Interesting.

As I began to think about why it never hit me what I did or why I went into the situation so confident, I realized it was because of leaders around me who have courage, specifically my mother. Many people in this world struggle with confidence and courage, but it's something I have not faced too many struggles with. I would attribute a good portion of this to the fact that my mother has always told me on a regular basis how smart and beautiful I am, how much she loves me, and to never back down from what is right, and to do whatever God tells me...and also by setting an example of a courageous Godly woman herself. So as a second grader, I didn't consider that some people would think I was right or wrong for doing it, I just knew that at the end of the day if the whole audience rejected me or if someone tried to tell me I was wrong, I would still have done the right thing and my mother would still be there believing in me.

I don't tell this story just to brag on my mom or to make those who don't have as supportive of a mom feel bad, but rather to draw another inspiration from it. Looking back, I noticed that I was able to face any challenges and obstacles in front of me because someone believed in me, loved me, and supported me. Welcome to your call of duty, people of God. There is a world of Christians out there that are scared out of their wits to move, to speak, to express their love for Christ and to tell His story of incredible salvation (Romans 10:9). The devil convinces them that if they speak they will be mocked, imprisoned, or maybe even killed. They face adversity, and it wins. Why is this? Perhaps because they don't feel the support behind them. This is something we can fix.

Maybe the church has failed on the issue of backing brothers and sisters in their fight for the glory of God's Kingdom. Maybe we should be more supportive of others rather than fighting among ourselves about issues that are less important than spreading the Gospel, and that are killing our own man power?...not trying to bash the church, I believe the church has great purpose, but we always have room to improve...just a thought. As a 8 year old little girl, I knew going into my stand for Christ that I had a back up cheer squad. We all want one of those. So you know what, suck up your opinions, your judgments, and predispositions and cheer on a fellow Christian warrior. There's a war to win out there, and the longer we sit back and fight over the color of our armor, the farther we get from victory. Now, get out there and win some souls to Christ...for God's sake.

I love you all. I believe in you all. Be the little engine that could--think you can (with Christ-Philippians 4:13). And at the end of the day, know we're right behind you, pushing you up the hill we're all climbing.