“Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle— My lovingkindness and my fortress, My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me.”
Psalms 144:1-2 NKJV
When a man or woman enlists in the military they are sent off to what is called Basic Military Training (BMT) or boot camp so to speak.
During BMT each of the trainees are separated from their families for 2 months or more and they are mentally, physically, and emotionally broken down. After this is done, the instructors over each flight begin to build them back up and prepare them in each area, to be the soldiers they need to be for battle on the field. They fully equip each soldier with the knowledge of how to use the weapons or tools, that are provided to them, when and if they become engaged in combat.
These men and women are protectors of our country and the people who live in it. They fight for freedom!
I like to look at the week of training camp as Kingdom Building Training (KBT). I had no clue what awaited me. I won’t be giving any details away, but I didn’t know what the hard parts were going to be, or what to expect really. No it wasn’t nearly as intense as what you would imagine BMT would be like, but it was similar in ways. We were broken in many different ways…spiritually, mentally, and physically.
The first part of the week we had our eyes and hearts opened to some hard things going on in our lives. The “broken down” part I like to call it. Because that is exactly what I did…..I broke down. We had to face some hard issues in our lives, get somethings out in the open, and really pour out some mess that was filling our cups. This way God could come in, and fill us up with His love and healing.
We then entered into the part of the week where we were given tools and lessons on how to really walk as disciples. We were taught many different things that would help us, along our journey to build relationships, and share the gospel with those that we came into contact with. I like to see it as being trained as soldiers for the upbuilding of God’s Kingdom. We want to be free people who take the gospel to others so that they might be free in Christ as well. With that being said, I would like to share with you what God did for me in those ten days.
I have struggled with my identity and doubt for so long. Who am I in Christ? A question I started asking a lot. One of the nights at the beginning of training camp I was so broken down and dealing with the feeling of not being “good enough”. I went to our coaches on the squad and I began to share how I was feeling, and my testimony with them, by the end of our talk they were praying over me, and God began to speak to me through Kerri my coach. He said to me that He had placed a crown upon my head, that He wanted me to walk feeling the presence of it everyday, He also said that I was His daughter, and that I was worthy of His love. The whole time He was speaking to me I was doing that sloppy cry, you know slinging snot, tears, and all. I was in awe that the Father would see me like this. When they finished praying over me, Toni looked at me and asked “so who are you?” I told her this was a question I had been asking myself a lot. She looked at me and said “He said you are His”. So she asked me again “who are you?” I look at her, as more tears began to fall, and I said “I am His.” It was beyond the most beautiful moment, but God didn’t just stop there.
A few days later we walked through cutting “soul ties”. These are ties that we have to someone that are unhealthy. So the speaker had us close our eyes, envision what she was saying, and walked us through a scenario where we cut ties with each person that we needed to. When we finished cutting the ties in this walk through we got up, walked with Jesus to the door directly behind us, and when we opened the door, what laid before us was what the Lord had for us. Behind the door in my vision, I saw a meadow, with beautiful flowers, sunshine, and trees. It was gorgeous. After we finished the session, I began to sit where I was and pray. While I was praying I felt a hand touch my back and I heard a familiar voice in my ear. It was one of my squad mates, Cara, and she whispered to me and asked if she could share with me what God had shown her for me during the cutting of the soul ties. I of course nodded and said yes. Meanwhile, let me just say, I have not shared anything with anyone in my squad, other than with our coaches and squad mentor. Cara said, God showed her me and Him walking to the door after cutting the ties, I opened the door, and beyond that was something like the Sound of Music. There was rolling hills/meadow, and flowers, and sunshine. I was in shock because that was exactly what God had showed me. She continued and said that as me and the Lord stood before the opened door, He turned to me, and He placed a crown on my head. He said that I was beautiful, that I was worthy, and that I was His daughter. Again here I was slinging snot and tears, doing the ugly cry, because God had for the second time that week reaffirmed who I was in Him.
Later that day, all of the girls from the squad gathered together with our Squad Mentor and Squad Leaders. During this time one of our Squad Leaders stood up and shared with us that God had showed them during there prayer time that we were Princess Warriors, that He had placed a crown on each of our heads, and that we were born into royalty.
So three times in that one week God had affirmed and answered my question with so much clarity. Talk about….mind…..blown!! WOW!!!
So who am I you ask?
I AM A DAUGHTER OF THE KING. I am a princess because my Father is the King. He has placed a crown on my head that solely belongs to Him. I will walk in who He says I am.
We are Warriors for Christ. He has called and equipped us to go out and bring Kingdom. He has trained and prepared us to go out and fight for freedom, freedom that only He can give.
He is a GOOD GOOD FATHER!
Thank you guys so much for reading along and supporting me. Yes we are just 3 weeks away from launch and our first country, Lesotho. My blogs will be the only way, some months, for me to communicate with everyone. So please head on over to my blog page and subscribe so that you don’t miss out on the wonderful things that God will be doing this next year.
michaellahedden.theworldrace.org
