As many of you already know, this is the first World Race that a married team has been established. Pretty sweet I must say, but even more… One of the few squads to have a family on it together. What is the family connection? Johnny is my husband; Johnny’s sister is Tara Bruce, who’s married to Josh Bruce.
One big happy family, right?!
To be honest, I was totally scared when the reality sunk in that I’d be living with my in-laws for a year. It’s a scary thought sometimes…can you blame me? Here is how it all started…
Back in June of last year, Tara was researching mission opportunities overseas and she came across The World Race. Before you could even blink an eye, Tara and Josh were in their first interview with AIM in Gainesville, GA. With extreme enthusiasm, she calls to invite us into the new opportunity.
At this time, Johnny and I were drained from working 9-5, weary of the typical “work, eat, sleep” schedule, and tired of trying to live up to society’s expectations of newlyweds, DINKs “Dual Income, No Kids”, young professionals, etc. … and we hadn’t even been out of college for a year! We were ready for change and willing to dive into the first opportunity to get out. Without hesitation, Johnny and I signed up, interviewed and by July ‘07 we were in! Exciting, for sure. With a year to go before launch, we shared in the excitement with the Bruce’s.
But, a hesitation sunk in the week of training camp, three months before launch. “Am I really going to live with my in-laws for the entire year?!” I thought to myself, “So much is at stake. After the year, we are still family. I can’t just say good-bye and we go separate ways. What if things go wrong?”
During the months leading up to launch, my fears started to grow. Then, those fears grew into bitterness. Before I knew it, the idea of living with Josh and Tara started to become an annoyance. I wasn’t ready to let my guard down. I wasn’t ready for them to see the real me, to know everything about me, to be next to our marriage 24/7. My associations with my inability to accept community with family started to become resentment toward them as individuals. What the heck was happening??
It was a battle. An ugly… spiritual… battle.
The devil was all over me. At the time, I didn’t even consider that he was lurking around. I was oblivious to him as a threat. Instead, I just accepted myself as a cynic and that it was my own fault I felt this way. Not only did I hand over the reigns, I aided him further and further into his own sneaky game. I gave him my fear as a foothold and once he manipulated that fear into a feeling of animosity, he started nailing it into my mind and created a stronghold. I was giving in! I was giving in to the idea that I was going to be miserable. I believed his lies. One after the other… “We will have nothing in common”, “They won’t understand me”, “I won’t be able to be myself”, “I am going to be miserable”.
It is dangerous to go through life without being aware that the devil can manipulate you…your thoughts, your actions, your motives. It is sad to think that one will pass the devil’s manipulation as just their own human behavior. But, it is tragic if that is happening to you and I had the chance to warn you against it. And tell you that you have the chance to fight back.
So, for those of you who are giving in, or those of you who are skeptical and especially those who deny there is a battle for your life… here is your warning. I’m ringing the alarm! He is near and ready for the footholds you lend him. The devil is fighting for every chance that God has to win over you. But, you have authority in this battle. You have a say, you have the last word, you get to make the final plea… Through Jesus Christ, you have been given all power and authority to rebuke the lies of the devil by killing his deception with truth…God’s Word! After that, God wins. He wins and protects you. The devil loses his authority over you and slithers away. But be aware that he awaits for the next foothold.
“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 devil’s
schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”
(Eph. 6:10-12)
I encourage you to seek out the devil’s lies and bind them with God’s truth. Praise the Lord for the power of the truth and how it sets us free (John 8:32).
I thank God for saving me from the devil’s deception. I have rebuked the lies Satan spoke over my family. I continue to fight and have chosen in as an active warrior in this battle.
“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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled
around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and
with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of
peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which
you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers
and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying
for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:13-18)
