Overwhelmed Again

Overwhelmed Again

my earthly Captain has relinquished his command

his field general and fellow captains

have all gone rogue

our standard has been captured, our banners scattered &

tattered among the dead, wounded, dazed & confused

my colleagues – other battalion & squad leaders

attempt to regroup amidst the tumult & disarray

but the once proud army has been dealt a stunning blow

as old alliances have crumbled and all scramble

to forge new allegiances

my own company has been shaken

some troops murmur, others have deserted

a few even dismissed for insubordination with

confidence in my competence wavering by all

battle worn, exhausted and discouraged

i enter the command tent, lay down my sword

collapse in a chair, place my head in my hands

in a haze of fatigue, my spirit slides into vision

the destruction & debris of the battlefield fades

i’m standing alone on the edge of a

green pasture beside a wide, still river

before me stands a tall, fair warrior

dressed in gleaming combat array

He turns toward me with a two-edged sword in his hand

“Are You for us or against us?” i mutter

“Neither, I Am the Captain of the Army of the Lord of Hosts.

Take off your shoes, for this is holy ground.”

I remove my shoes, bow and complain…

“My Lord, our army has been swept from the field

the troops are defeated and downcast

the enemy has sown confusion & chaos

our cause has been lost”

the Captain calmly listens, waits and smiles

“Do you not know; have you not heard?

Do you not remember?

the enemy is an eternally, defeated, beaten foe

his deceptions & ways are not new

and his impact temporary & fleeting

you are not alone and the battle is not yours

I Am the God of the Angel Army; I Am mighty to save

look with your spirit eyes and see those who

are with you are more than those against”

behind Him now stood a brilliant hosts

banners, horses, shields, weapons – an impressive,

innumerable force - as far as the eye could see

a call from outside my tent

brings me back to the natural realm

refreshed, renewed, strengthened and hopeful

once again with the eternal eclipsing the temporal

i have been overwhelmed

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb

will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings,

and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

- mark d. cooke, 3-17-12