DEAD MAN WALKING: The Art of Surrender

How do you do things that require courage? Things that are so uncomfortable you have to get to a place, that if the worst happened, then it was worth whatever you’d endured to get there?

In a word, surrender. What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6 and Hebrews 13:6. It is not that I am on the Lord’s side, but that HE is on mine. “The Lord is my helper…the Lord is on my side” Why?  Because that is His promise to those who know Him.  

We were in Kyiv, Ukraine in April of ‘22. We ventured from a home base in the city, out into surrounding communities to give humanitarian assistance and supplies to those in need. The situation was quite unstable and our team got separated. There were various actors, improvised units, and mixed mercenary interests. There were some locals who’d stayed behind to protect and defend what was left from recent attacks, and some elderly who were too frail to relocate, or simply too stubborn to evacuate. 

We had a passion to reach those who needed help desperately. We went on some close connections with ground personnel, a few weeks of planning, and faith.  The checkpoints always get your attention. The ability to read body language and discern early what will make an interaction a peaceful one is truly a gift. Where God sends you, He intends to protect you. I had prepared at home, and with my husband’s blessing, proceeded.  

The moment you make the decision to “go,” the enemy will sabotage your way. Here come the doubts, the intrusive threatening images, the endless disaster scenarios. You have to take control of this and take authority over it and stop it immediately. You won’t get control if you don’t have authority. You won't have authority, if you have not surrendered to the One who has all authority.  Matthew 28:18, Luke 10:19, and many more. Spend some time there, in those verses, in your Bible,  and see what that is like.  

You must know who you are and Whose you are. 

Don’t be surprised when you start to have opportunities to develop your skills. Sometimes it is not so fun. Stay humble. Don’t get greedy. You’ll get more than egg on your face. And don’t ever think that because you go without a weapon means you go in peace. You may be going into a far bigger war than you can see. You will have wanted to prepare. Prepare so well, that you are a dead man walking.  This elderly woman and her dog stayed behind. She had fled Germany as a little girl, and she refused to flee again. She was a dead man walking…