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Soldier Interview - Heather Dolby
United States South Territory
JAC interviewed soldiers from five territories regarding
battle issues that we all face. We expect that most of you
will learn much on what the problems and solutions are in this
great salvation conflict. We esteem the interviewees as those
fighting hard and committed to glorifying Jesus as they
capture, train, and deploy on very different fronts.
JAC: Quick bio:
HD: A Salvation Soldier with a testimony of miraculous,
instantaneous deliverance from addiction and baptized in fire
by Holy Spirit. Eager to grow in Christlikeness, addicted to
resurrection life, adventurously expectant to see what God
will do next…
JAC: Tell us, about your salvation and sanctification.
HD: I hung out in church for almost a decade living a double
life – looking good on Sundays and livin' large the rest of
the week. Two sets of friends, two sets of ideals – two sets
of clothes… until I was invited to be a part of a small group
at the corps, made up of an unlikely assortment of the old,
the young, the fanatical and the merciful, married people,
divorced people, evangelists and lovers.
This weekly meeting was an accelerant to my big bang God
moment, where
I 'got' that He was real and was interested in me.
At that point, I was 25 yrs old, had my own car, a successful
business, loads of friends and I lived in my parents’ basement
(which was great, by the way!). I had achieved many of the
goals I had set out for myself and I was looking over my
shoulder at what had already happened and then contemplating
the years to come and all I could ask myself was, "Is this it?
Is this as good as it gets? Because life these days just isn't
cutting it." That's when God spoke up. I'm talking, like I
heard His Voice, felt His presence not just in my heart as a
'warm fuzzy' but my room felt full of Him, and we reasoned
some things out a la Isaiah 1:8 and He instantly delivered me
from the compulsion to drink/smoke/be promiscuous, and I held
up my end of the bargain and the very next day I marched into
the corps and signed my Soldier's Covenant.
That was 4 years ago, and ever since, mine has been a process
of growing wildly and then being pruned back by the Lord, of
taking great big, fun faith steps and then having to wait for
my maturity level to catch up, at the same time painstakingly
waiting for my maturity level to catch up. Even now, God is
reaching into me to draw out capabilities I never imagined
were inside of me. He trusts me to re-present Him to the
world, but I'm faced with the necessity of my part of the
bargain, which is doing the hard work of carving out spiritual
discipline and bridling my tongue. Even so, my life 4 years
later is poured out on a rugged, narrow path that leads me to
eternal life. Boring? NEVER! For the backslider gets bored
with herself, but the godly woman's life is exciting! Proverbs
14:14 TLB
JAC: What engages your passions and energies these days.
HD: In the big picture sense, I'm part of a team of salvos in
Charlotte, NC who are building a community of believers in a
neighborhood where the majority of folks get by on food
stamps, welfare and government cheese. Violence, malice,
loneliness and despair have their home here, so naturally,
Jesus lives here too.
That's why we're here – because He lives here and He invited
us to come and be a part of what He's doing – John 5:19,20
style.
On a micro level, encouraging others – either in person, by
email and or in a letter really fires me up. People need to
know that they're loved! (By me and the Lord). I like to hide
myself away to pray and that tendency is only on the increase.
But the kicker is this – having an armful of children dancing
around, singing silly songs, praying bold, simple prayers
together and laughing. That's what I do when I start to wonder
what I'm doing here…and I am reminded instantly!
JAC: What is your role with The Salvation Army?
HD: I am a covenant soldier. My husband and I are currently
serving in the USA South Territory, Charlotte North Carolina
as Apostolic Overseers of The War College and 614 Charlotte.
Our mission is to win the world for Jesus, starting in
Charlotte, NC.
JAC: What is your mission/calling?
HD: I'm never sure how to answer those questions, because the
further
I walk with Jesus, the less I realize I know about myself. He
just keeps pulling all sorts of potential out of me that I
never knew was even in there. What I do know is that I'm not
about quitting when it gets hard. I've learned a hard lesson
on that one, so now, when that feeling comes around, like I
want to cut and run, it makes me press in even more, because
that's when I know that I'm on to something godly and good.
When it's hard and humbling and tricky and tedious, that's
when I taste the heavenly war going on around me and it drives
me to push through to the other side. I feel safe in saying
that I am called to love people – a whole lot. Even until it
hurts – especially until it hurts. To pray for individuals and
churches and nations and people groups to know God, hear Him
and obey Him. To train others in spiritual things, and also
tell them the truth about themselves – God's truth.
JAC: How do you influence people?
HD: Lord have mercy…just by being myself. Passionate,
heartfelt, aggravated, argumentative…Ha ha, it's not always
the most positive or comfortable influence, but at least it's
always real, always transparent. Anyone who is part of my life
knows that some days I'm buoyant, others concerned, often I'm
earnest to grow and then other days I'm frustrated with
myself, and so on. I welcome others into the authenticity of
my journey, and just be being myself, I pave the way for them
to do likewise. This is a novel concept for some, and it can
either be a real turn-off, or a huge relief.
JAC: What are your dreams for the next several years?
HD: I wouldn't change too much from what God's got me doing
now in essence… except that I dream of being a part of a
ministry team with my family – all of us loving Jesus and
walking in the fullness of healing and freedom that comes with
Him, and doing mission together. That would be awesome, we'd
work great together. Jesus would love it.
I'd also like to be living more simply, with less personal $$,
and less 'stuff', so that I'd learn to rely on God for more
provision. OH, and I want to be a significant part of a global
family of believers, who pray for one another daily, fly
places to minister with and to one another, hold one another
accountable and just share lives. This is already in process,
to a degree with those who I've met through being stationed in
Vancouver, BC. But I want more. More brothers and sisters.
More love. More passion. More togetherness. I'm all about big
families who really know one another and are deep-spirited
friends. God grant it, please.
JAC: What are the keys to successful warfare on your front and
the larger salvation war?
HD: Being consistent with our neighbours. Remembering their
names.
Being open-handed with our resources. Believing full-on, no
doubt about it that this is God's Will, and remaining
single-minded about it – you know, not letting the devil
flip-flop me around. Also, having a clear mind and being able
to see what is going on around me spiritually – then getting
enough time alone with the Lord to decipher what it is I'm
seeing. The biggie though, is having a heart for our city, its
people and the King. I ask myself, why do I care? Why am I
doing this? If my mealy-mouthed response is a namby pamby
'because it's what Jesus would have done', then I take issue
with that, because that line of sentimental reasoning isn't
going to cut it when times get tough and both sentiment and
reason are in short supply, and the money's tight, the fanfare
has faded away. A romantic idea isn't enough to nourish and
sustain me in the meager times – but following Him does. So,
at the bottom of it, in my opinion, is following Jesus and
being His disciple. "Simply put, if you're not willing to take
what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it
goodbye, you can't be my disciple." Luke 14:33 Message
You see, following Christ, building the Kingdom – it has to
cost you something, it has to be a choice of the heart to
follow Him whatever He says to do and wherever He says to go.
JAC: How are you and your comrades strengthening The Salvation
Army?
HD: By being ourselves in the world, while we pursue Christ –
our messy, grumpy, needy, gloriously saved selves. We're
growing in grace for ourselves and one another right out in
the open, where anyone can see (if they want to, and even when
they don't!). We're not maintaining any sort of official
'appearance', we're ignorant of most protocols and procedures
and we're not going to let that stop us. We don't always fit
in with the other people in our denomination, but we're not
going to try SO hard to do that, that we don't fit in with our
neighbour. I'm not willing to make that trade. I must be
approachable. I must be touchable. I must be feasible and
practical, otherwise I'm a relic. Defunct. Bland. Uuh. Who
wants to be bland? To lose our saltiness? When we are daringly
free to be ourselves, it makes it so much easier for others
who don't quite fit in anywhere, who aren't glamorous, who
can't spell and don't know all the 'right' things to say to
come over for coffee and be comfortable. To stop in the street
and chat. In those moments, when we are just ourselves, loving
Jesus, loving others, that's me being The Salvation Army in
the most effective, Christlike way I know how. Doesn't that
sound like good PR to you?
JAC: What are some of the dangers we have to face in the
coming years?
(and how?)
HD: When we so turn our noses up at how Salvos have
steered/managed/represented The Salvation Army in the past 60
or 70 years that we ourselves become a dysfunctional abusive
family. When we hold bitterness, resentment, pretension,
condescension and superiority over our forefathers and mothers
rather than honor, respect, blessing and affection, our family
will be weak and ineffectual. What position will we be in then
to offer healing and reconciliation for others towards Christ?
What Good News will there be? We will be a sea of tunic
wearing hypocrites, and who will rebuild the ruin we have made
of God's Army? Who will restore the places in our Army that
have been devastated for generations? No – we must seek God's
heart for His people, and heed the voice of the prophets He
sends us to reconcile the hearts of the fathers to their
children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; so
that God doesn't have to come and strike our land with a
curse.
JAC: What final exhortation have you for this audience?
HD: "Do not put out the Spirit's fire." 1 Thessalonians 5:19
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