Courage with a capital G

 From where he sat, he could see his fellow soldiers napping.  The sharp snap of a twig startled him. Noiselessly, the small black-and-white terrier climbed out of the dirt trench, creeping toward the enemy spy. Letting out a low growl, the brave canine lunged, sinking his sharp teeth into the adversary’s calf. Angry shrieks woke the American soldiers with the 102^nd infantry. Through it all, Stubby held on tight.

  Born a stray, this small Boston Terrier was smuggled on board the USS Minnesota by a young corporal. In February 1918, they landed in Chemin des Dames, France. Here they would spend the next eighteen months. Stubby spent most of his time on the front lines. As battles raged, Stubby ran ferociously and fearlessly around his fellow soldiers.

  Because of his keen canine senses, Stubby alerted his comrades to the shrill whistle of incoming shells before they struck. He used his unique low-light vision to locate missing soldiers on the field. The courage and motivation of this canine boosted the morale of the soldiers, in and out of battle.

Excellent eyesight. Heroic hearing.  Boundless bravery.

  Pas moi! As I type, I’m adorned with bi-focals and irked because I can hear the exhaust fan above the kitchen stove. I’m suspiciously eyeing that spider on my ceiling, preparing to abandon my post should it make any sudden moves. I come equipped with lens cleaner, noise canceling headphones, and an emotional support cup of tea. 

  And you?

  Where does your courage come from?

  Psalm 27:14 says,

The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (NIV)

  Much like our four legged hero, King David was a skilled, experienced soldier. In fact, David had previously come up against a giant. I imagine the legs of the men on the WWI battlefield resembled the legs of giants as Stubby weaved in and out of them.

  King David wrote this when he was in trouble, to remind himself that the strife that surrounded him would be no match for the God who internally fortified him. In this one Psalm, we see David turn his panic to prayer, his fear into faith, and his tribulation into trust. What’s even more comforting, is that God knew all of David’s inadequacies, but called him anyway. David had to have a heart open to God’s purpose.

  Joshua is another example of being strong and courageous in the face of the unknown.

  In Joshua 10:8 it states,

And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” (NIV)

 Though Joshua had reasons to fear, God had commanded him not to. Joshua had to hold tight to that command and the promise attached to it. Then he got to work. Joshua participated. He trusted God to make him capable. 

  God had been preparing Joshua to lead and now He was calling him to be bold for the battles ahead. There was no time to consider the “what ifs” and “how wills” of the future. Joshua let fear sharpen his awareness of God. I bet a battlefield is a difficult place to hear the call of your friend, unless, of course, you’re a dog. Joshua had to have ears trained to hear God’s voice in everything and everywhere.

And Deborah?

Now, most people of that time would never have expected God to raise up a woman as a prophetess, never mind a judge. But there she was, using all the skills and gifts that God had entrusted to her to sit under that tree and, well, judge. She eventually sends for Barak to ask why he wasn’t going where God had told him to go and doing what God had told him to do. His answer was found in Judges 4:8.

“Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.’ ” (NIV)

When we are hit with those hard times, and can’t see our way out of it, it’s a good thing we have a Judge who will come alongside us, too. Barak’s obedience relied on Deborah’s willingness to go with him. He needed God to uncover his spiritual eyes. Then, with no more fear or excuses to block the way, Barak might have been able to see God’s plan. 

  When we talk about spiritual eyes, we are really talking about the ability to see beyond the natural.  To glimpse the Invisible moving the visible. That clarity of purpose and spiritual discernment only comes through a personal relationship with Jesus. If Stubby couldn’t see what the men were doing, he would stumble all over himself. If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves, too. Deborah had to have uncovered eyes to see God’s plan.

Open our hearts to His purpose. 

Train our ears to hear His voice. 

Uncover our eyes to witness God’s presence.

  Stubby was the only canine promoted to Sergeant during the entire war.  That’s Sergeant, with a capital S. Seventeen battles later, and I guess you could say, he was a bit of a celebrity. He met three US presidents, marched in numerous parades, and received lifetime memberships into the American Legion, the Red Cross, and the YMCA.

  Now, hold on a second. It just doesn’t feel right to let you go on thinking that all Boston Terriers are like Sergeant Stubby. 

  Currently, my Boston Terrier is napping on a blanket, contentedly soaking up the only slice of February sunlight we’ve seen in days. When he’s not napping or barking at the birds, he finds a little time to, well, sneak in another nap. Did I mention he snores?                     

  Also, this breed tends to be a little..

  Well, let’s just say he engages in chemical warfare.

  But that might just be a story for another day.

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