Side by Side in God’s Battle by Holly Hrywnak

Thankful Post: Side by Side in Battle

By: Holly Hrywnak

1 Samuel 14:6-7 “Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

The very first day in one of my Youth Ministry classes in Bible school my teacher let us know what our first assignment would be. We would be taking the entire first class to sit and pray and ask God what He wanted for our lives.

NBD.

I was 20 years old at the time, and my expectation of hearing from God in that hour long class period was close to nil. It seemed foolish to even ask God to give me some purpose and direction, so I just started flipping through my Bible. When in doubt, just start looking.

It was at that point when God said, “Here. This is the one. This is what I want you to know.”

Here?! God, are you sure? I hadn’t even read anything yet, but my Bible had opened up to the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer in 1 Samuel 14. It’s an amazing account where Jonathan takes his armor bearer into battle and together they kill 20 Philistines after they climbed up a cliff to do so. Honestly, it’s a scene of epic proportion. In a few short verses, you see a zealous Jonathan and a devoted, obedient armor bearer– both determined to fight on behalf of the Lord.

And in a moment of inspired revelation the armor bearer declares, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, many or by few.” Wow.

God whispers in my ear again, “You. That’s you.” For the rest of the class period, I sat there as God unfolded this beautiful picture of what ministry would look like for me. It was a sweet exchange between my Savior and me with a lot of things left unanswered, but a deep rooted hope in my heart. I knew without a doubt, I’d never be serving Him alone. What that would look like practically–well, I wasn’t sure.

It’s now 10-years later from that conversation and I’ve received a little more clarity. For a long time I thought the person that would be standing next to me in battle would be my husband. For a while, that word left me saddened feeling like it hadn’t come true yet. There’s no doubt in my mind that one day, my husband and I will be fighting side by side in battle. Until that day comes though, I’ve seen God provide someone else.

It may seem kind of juvenile to some, but I am most thankful for my best friend, Bekah. She’s held the title for almost 13 years now and I couldn’t imagine doing life, doing ministry without her. Whenever I’ve needed her she’s been there with me in the trenches– mud, blood and all. During tragedy, sickness, or discouragement she is the first responder to my cries of help. On crappy Mondays, she thinks to bring me my favorite Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. When I’m laid up in bed with a head full of snot and I feel like I’m on the brink of death, she’s knocking on my door holding groceries BRAT (banana, rice, apple sauce, toast) diet approved. The days my eyes are weary with tears cried over singleness– she’s the one letting me know that I’m a treasure worth finding.

In the midst of the craziness of life Bekah has been Jesus in-the-flesh. I’m thankful that God has provided me with someone willing to fight the fight with me– a friend to run this rat race with. That is what…or who…I am thankful for today and always.

Holly loves all things fall– coffee, sweatshirts, apple picking, pumpkin pie and autumn leaves. Her love languages range from physical touch to sarcasm and places a high value on wit. This past year Holly started a blog, which can be found at thecommonqueen.wordpress.com

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