The Dragon Warrior

If you read my husband’s first blog post, he compared his journey to Bilbo Baggins in ‘The Hobbit.’ Well, where he relates to Bilbo, I relate to Kung Fu Panda :) …..seriously though.

I grew up as a pastor’s kid in South Carolina. I can remember in middle and high school feeling frustrated because I was always looked to as a “leader” and always being held to what seemed to be higher standards than other kids around me. I loved the Lord and had a relationship with Him even then. I distinctly remember a moment where I felt like the Lord was saying, “I wouldn’t have put you in this position if you couldn’t handle it.” So, I just embraced my life, looked to the Lord, and did what He asked me to do to the best that I could at that age.

My journey led me through college then overseas where I lived for a year in Poland and a year and a half in Taiwan. I remember trying to pin point what the Lord was “calling” me to in my future and I narrowed it to music or missions or both. I met Clay along the way and together we said forever to what the Lord had for us believing it would be back overseas one day.

A couple of years ago, the Lord showed us we were in the right place and our moving overseas would be coming soon. I kind of freaked out. :) I realized that in the few years leading up to this, there had been many insecurities, questions, and doubts that I had been believing about myself. 

You see, seven years ago the Lord brought us into a community with amazing believers who walked in the Spirit and He was using them to challenge and grow us deeper in Him in a new dimension. I was excited, but also felt insecure, comparing myself with those around me and how they related to the Lord or heard from Him. This was coupled with my new stage of life with a husband and 2 little girls who needed so much of my time and energy. I didn’t have the hours to spend with the Lord like I had when I lived overseas or even in college. So I just felt lost and confused for a while.

I knew the Lord…in the depths of me, I knew Him deeply. We had been through a lot together and He had been my only constant, but I had allowed all these things to distract me and then listened to the lies of the enemy. Lies like “those gifts aren’t for you” or “maybe He loves them more” or “you have blown it too many times, He’s moving on now.” I honestly thought that maybe God would even remove me from this earth to get me out of the way so that He could allow Clay to do what He’s called him to and to be who He’s made him to be.

I kept waiting for something huge to happen that would give me proof that He has equipped and empowered me and didn’t forget about me.

It was about this time I was packing for a women’s retreat with our church. My youngest wanted to watch Kung Fu Panda. In the movie, Po (the panda) was what appeared to be accidentally chosen as “The Dragon Warrior,” who prophesy foretold would be the only one who could save the city from their worst enemy. At first, he was so excited that he was chosen. But to everyone around him, it had to be a mistake. They didn’t believe there was any way he could do it. So he started to believe them.

The “master” in the film said there are no mistakes and his appointment of Po was the truth. The other fighters then thought, “well, if it is true, it’s only because there is this secret scroll that only the dragon warrior can open. It must have a power that no one else has that will equip him with what he needs to beat the enemy and fulfill his destiny.” Po believed the same thing. When he finally opened up the scroll, it was blank, with only his reflection staring back at him. Everyone in the city evacuated believing they would all be destroyed because there was no way Po could do what he was called to do without a special power. Disappointed, Po also leaves and stops to talk to his father who is a noodle shop owner. He is known for his ‘secret ingredient’ soup that is the best around. Here’s the conversation..

Mr. Ping: The secret ingredient is…nothing!

Po: Huh?

Mr. Ping: You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient.

Po: Wait, wait… it’s just plain old noodle soup? You don’t add some kind of special sauce or something?

Mr. Ping: Don’t have to. To make something special you just have to believe it’s special. [Po looks at the scroll again, and sees his reflection in it]

Po: There is no secret ingredient…

He then goes back, defeats the enemy, and fulfills his destiny.

I felt like the Lord was saying to me…”I’ve given you everything you need to do what I’ve called you to do and be who I’ve called you to be. Stop waiting for something else, believe in who I am in you, and do it.”

That weekend at the retreat, there was a time where everyone wrote down something on a piece of paper that we felt the Spirit was leading us to write down for someone else in the room. We didn’t know who. They gathered all the papers and each person walked up and chose one. Mine said, “A warrior of strength is rising up from the ashes.” What?!? As those words confirmed what I felt the Lord already saying to me and tears rolled down my cheeks, with a smile, it was all I could do to not shout “I’m the dragon warrior!!!” ;)

I believe that the biggest reason we don’t live to our fullest potential in the Kingdom is that we believe the enemy and/or others that we aren’t empowered yet or not well-enough equipped. Well I’m calling bull. The Lord gives us a choice..a choice to fulfill who He’s called us to be and what He’s called us to do, but if we never believe that our identity is Jesus and that He has given us all we need through the power of the Spirit, we will never live to our full potential. His love for us is the same either way, but He has called us all to an adventure to partner with Him by bringing His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. So what are you waiting for?