Porch Prisms and the Plight of the AWOL Soldier

I thought I’d written the story about the plight of the AWOL Soldier. I searched my archives and couldn’t find it. I guess it was another of those that I “wrote” mentally and never typed out.

God brought it up again this week, as we spoke about the Porch Prisms. So, I’m writing it. Tell me if you can relate!

The AWOL Soldier

There was a young patriot who wanted nothing more than to be a soldier. On his 18th birthday, he ran to the recruiter’s office as soon as it opened. The day he shipped out to basic training, he was almost giddy.

Upon completion of training, his unit was awarded leave before their orders came through. But he didn’t want the break. He felt ready to serve.

He had been watching the news. He had seen a skirmish that interested him. He had a strong inclination about which side was right. He booked his own flight, made his way to the front line and joined the fight.

The soldier went off on his own.
^{Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com}

He felt great! He was doing what he’d been trained to do. And he was good at it! This was his life’s mission.

Or was it?

In time, he was captured by the opposing side. He assumed his country would show up to rescue him. He was surprised when they didn’t. But, in truth, he was a prisoner of a war he was never sent to fight. He had no covering of authority.

Back home, when that leave was over, he had been expected to join his comrades. His commander needed him there. When he didn’t show up for orders, he was considered AWOL (Absent WithOut Leave) and called a deserter.

His captors mocked him when they found out where he was from. They laughed at his commander and his nation for having such a rogue soldier. He had brought shame on all that he stood for. How could this be his plight?

---

I hope you realize this is not a true story. But it kind of is, isn’t it? Let me put it to you another way.

The Plight of the Christian Warrior

You and I are warriors for Christ. We want to serve Him. We can’t wait to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

We seize the opportunity to minister where it suits us. We jump in with both feet. Things get tough. We dig deep.

We feel good about ourselves. We stand our ground. We believe in the justice of our cause.

And therein lies the issue, right? Who do we feel good about? Ourselves. Whose cause are we defending? Ours.

Sometimes we find ourselves caught up in battles we were never meant to fight.
^{Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com}

Our platform inevitably begins to crumble. We find ourselves in trouble. People begin to mock us and, worse, the God we claim to serve. We wonder how it has come to this. We are surprised when the Holy Spirit doesn’t step in with power to make everything right.

We wonder if God has deserted us. We are tempted to abandon our faith. But the truth is, we are the ones who went rogue. We never prayed. We didn’t ask where the Lord wanted to use us.

We said we were serving Him, but we rushed to a battlefront of our choosing, and Jesus was not in it. We didn’t wait to receive orders from our Heavenly Commander in Chief, according to His battle plan. We shipped ourselves out and expected Him to follow.

---

When we look at it in terms of a soldier, it seems ridiculous. We easily label him an idiot and think he deserves what he gets. He should have known better.

But what about when we think of our own Christian life? How often do we hop into debates or jump onto platforms, thinking God will bless our decision simply because we’re doing so in His name? Is it His duty to follow our piety?

The truth is that God is always working. He lays groundwork, prepares the way, trains us up, and calls us to serve alongside Him. Our job is to find where His activity is and join Him there. It is not the other way around. Even Jesus received His ministry cues from the Father:

“Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does’.”

John 5:19

Porch Prisms Provide an Object Lesson

God reminded me of this as I looked at my Porch Prisms this morning. There was one hanging on my west window. It was ineffective while the sun was rising in the east. It was helpless to fulfill its purpose because it was not where the sun was. As an object lesson, it felt personal.

I have been an AWOL soldier plenty of times. I’ve been trying to work apart from the Son. How about you? In fact, maybe you’re involved in something right now that is doing more harm to the reputation of Jesus than good.

God is pleased with our enthusiasm. He just wants us to bring it under His authority. He has plenty of work which we are purposed to do, which will benefit His Kingdom and those we love.

Thankfully, we serve a God of second chances. If you’ve been an AWOL soldier, akin to a Porch Prism out of line with the sun, it is not too late to change your position. Ask Him where He wants you. He has the perfect spot tailor-made for you!

If you’d like a Porch Prism of your own to remind you to remain in line with the will of God, please visit the Back Porch Boutique. I have listed details and prices there. Let me know if you have any questions. It would be my honor to make one ( or more) for you.