Battle Buddies

In 1995, the year my fifth child was born, Toy Story came to the theaters.
It was the story about a boy named Andy and his beloved sheriff doll named, Woody.
Andy’s mother was getting ready to move her son and daughter in a week’s time.
Consequently, Andy’s birthday party was moved up a week.

All the toys come to life when no one is in the room.
A scouting team is sent on a mission to check out the birthday party and the gifts Andy receives.
The toy soldiers leading the mission create an elaborate communication system.
Using baby monitors, they spy on the birthday party and report their findings.

The presents Andy receives are not that speculator.
Woody’s place as Andy’s favorite toy is secure.
However, Andy receives a surprise gift that seems to be a threat.
It is an electronic space ranger action figure named, Buzz Lightyear.

Toy Story was a favorite movie in our house.
My youngest son had his own beloved Woody doll.
He had his own sheriff’s vest, badge, and hat.
He carried Woody everywhere.

When he began preschool, he carried a Toy Story backpack that was bigger than him.
When Toy Story 2 and 3 came to the theaters, we all went to see the movies.
Pixar knows how to do animation at its best.
Ingenious animation and a wonderful story make these movies favorites for many families.

I remember when Toy Story 3 came to the theaters in 2010.
Toy Story was part of the fabric of our family.
This movie was nostalgic for us.
I wish someone had told me the plot line.

We saw the movie right before my youngest son was heading off to college.
This was the son who dressed as Woody and loved his very own Woody doll.
I wish someone had told me that Andy was also going to college.
Andy was also leaving behind his toys and his childhood to move solidly into adult life.

I sat through most of Toy Story 3 and cried quiet Mom tears.
My children all looked back at me since we were sitting in two rows.
I was trying to hide my tears but I was not doing a very good job.
The story hit too close to home; I could relate to Andy’s mother; I could relate to Andy’s toys.

My youngest son just got married.
When we talked about what song to dance to for our mother/son dance, I had an idea.
I remember the day I suggested the song as he stood in the kitchen with his precious fiance.
I know what we should dance to, if you agree, I said looking at him with a smile.

You’ve Got A Friend In Me, from Toy Story, I said.
That’s great! He said and meant it.
That’s perfect, his precious fiance said with a tear in her eye.
And so we danced; everyone who knew why that song was chosen had a tear in their eye.

My boy.
My Andy.
My son with his beloved, Woody.
My son with his beloved wife.

A few years before they were even engaged, I gave his future wife a gift.
I had been praying for her and a thought came to my mind.
I tried to dismiss it but it would not go away.
I went to the bookstore to investigate the idea.

There they were on the shelf.
The word that would not go away was, bookends.
I had no idea what God had in mind as I searched for this gift for her.
I found them, bought them, came home, and wrote her a letter.

The bookends were in the shape of hands.
They were not tacky or gaudy in any way.
They were meant to be meaningful as well as useful.
The words started to come from my heart to the paper.

I told her that the hands represent the both of us.
We each are holding up my son in prayer.
Each of us have a role in encouraging him and supporting him.
He is what we are holding between our hands.

She loved the bookends!
My son was there when she received them and he seemed pleased.
He knows that two women who love the Lord were promising to hold him up.
We each will pray, support, encourage, and love him.

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar and called it, The Lord is my Banner. He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. (Exodus 17:8-16)

A friend of mine talked about a woman who was her prayer partner.
The two women pound heaven on behalf of their families, their church, and the nation.
My friend has a special name for their relationship.
We are Battle Buddies, she said.

What a wonderful name: Battle Buddies.
Aaron and Hur were Battle Buddies for Moses.
They held up his tired arms so that he could continue in prayer for the Lord’s people.
Moses grew weary and his Battle Buddies helped carry the load.

My precious daughter-in-love and I are Battle Buddies for my son, her husband.
Like the bookend gift all those year ago, we really do hold him up in prayer.
God knew the scope of that gift when he laid the word, bookend, on my heart.
Finding a set that were in the shape of hands was God’s provision as well.

Battle Buddies.
How desperately we need them.
We need Battle Buddies who will support us in prayer when we are weary.
We need to be a Battle Buddies to uphold someone else.

My friend said more than she knew.
Do you have a Battle Buddy that you can pray with as you pound heaven?
Are you a Battle Buddy for someone else, helping them to carry their load?
You and I have a mission, much like Aaron and Hur.

Aaron and Hur held his hands up – so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

Whose hands can you steady?
Who is there to steady your hands?
We cannot go through this life on our own.
We need a Battle Buddy and we need to be a Battle Buddy for someone else.