David and His Mighty Men… coming soon to a theater near you. Could you imagine? The stories, the action scenes, the inspiration….The underdog being victorious even though all the odds are stacked against them. It would be a huge hit!
My personal favorite is the story of the mighty man who fought so hard that his hand froze to the sword. Yes, froze to the sword. Or there is the soldier who fought hundreds of bad guys all by himself to protect a field of beans. Yep, a field of beans. But, you can’t forget to make special mention of the man who fought off 800 Philistines with a single spear in one encounter. Yes, you did read that correctly… 800! That makes the soldiers in the movie 300 seem a little whimpy if you ask me! These are incredible stories of heroism and faith. You can read all about it in 2 Samuel 23:8-39.
Could you imagine the thoughts that were going through those soldier’s minds as their hands froze to the sword, or as they fought for a bean field or stood against 800? I wonder if at any point they questioned their purpose. Did they ever stop and pause for a moment and think to themselves “is this worth it?”
Honestly, I don’t know. But, if I had to guess the answer to these questions I would say no. I don’t think they paused or questioned why they were doing what they were doing. I don’t think they were looking to make themselves legends. I honestly think they were humble servants who knew what their purpose was and didn’t have to question it. They knew that whether the task was big or small they were asked to be faithful and to fight for their king. And that is what they did, no questions asked, no matter the cost.
Now, could you imagine what it would be like to meet one of them? I can.
This month I have the privilege of working and serving in Gjakova, Kosovo. It has been such a joy to serve here and to be a help in any way that I can. But to be honest, my takeaways have not come from handing out shoe boxes or cleaning the sanctuary. It hasn’t come from folding clothes in the second hand store or running Bible study. It hasn’t been found in any of my “tasks” for the month. My greatest moments this month have come over coffee. Sitting at the kitchen table or on the couch or in the car listening to the men and women who have given their lives in serve of their King. They never complain, they never question, and they know what their purpose is. Their purpose is to be faithful in the small things.
I hear story after story of believers here doing what they feel the Lord is calling them to do. They aren’t looking for rewards or seeking affirmation from others. They are simply doing what they feel Jesus is calling them to do. Here are just a couple of those instances I have experienced since my time in Kosovo.
There were only 4 of us at Bible Study. We shared what in Scripture stood out to us and as conversation evolved over coffee and tea our friend said, “It can be hard sometimes being a believer here.” He said it so matter-of-factly, like this was the norm. He continues, “But, Luke 16:10 says, ‘whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much…’ So that is what I am doing. I am being faithful here, because that is where God put me.”
One afternoon I sat and drank tea/coffee with a friend that I had made while staying here at the church. As we sat on the couch warming ourselves by the fire she said, “It can be lonely here being the only believer. None of my friends are believers, so that can be hard because you never really quite fit. But, I know that God has a plan for my life and I know that it involves being here in Kosovo. So, I just keep trusting Him to open doors and in the meantime I just try to stay busy on what God is doing now.”
These are our modern day Mighty Men and Women. They inspire me every day! I am so blessed and honored to know them and count it an honor to do life alongside them, even for just a month. I can’t wait to see the doors God opens for them and the reward God has waiting for them!
I pray that I can be more like them.
