I’m packing peppermint gum, lipstick and hand sanitizer at all times. I have a spare set of toddler clothes stashed in my car. I know the back roads and shortcuts all over this town. I even know a few words in Spanish.

I am Agent X.

Shocking, I know. You would assume upon first glance that I am just a middle-class, suburban mom with bills to pay, meetings to attend, children to care for and a home to clean up. Oh, but you would be mistaken, my friend. Upon closer inspection, you would discover that there is so much more to me than my “cover”.

On any given day, I will encounter enemy assailants in the sneakiest places: my children’s mouths, the TV, memories from my past. And I have been trained in many methods of neutralization. (That’s “killing” in code talk.) I have quite a mission to fulfill in the ordinariness of my cover life. But, in addition to the everyday stuff, I also receive covert ops transmissions. I have spent years learning to decipher these transmissions, so I know to be alert and ready at a moment’s notice. My Director has a fierce love for His people, and nothing happening in their lives goes unnoticed. So, when I am in the vicinity of an ongoing operation, He alerts me to His heartbeat message for a Precious One. When I accept the mission, I get a full download of my Director’s heart for His target, and often, a thought or a message to relay. Sometimes I get to use the big guns to blow up an enemy fortress and sometimes I get to be a sniper, taking out the enemy with one perfectly aimed shot. I am always recruiting, and a good portion of the time, I am leading Precious Ones to a safe haven in the midst of a battle.

Over the years, I have gotten to know my Director pretty well. We spend a lot of time just talking about stuff. I give him the play-by-play and He shows me things I didn’t see. In fact, if I’m paying attention, He shows me things BEFORE I go on assignment so I know exactly what to do. He’s so gracious and comforting. I have found that the more time I spend with Him, the more confident I am in the field. And I know that He is right there with me. We are constantly connected.

Want to know what I love most about this job? The adventure. No two days are alike! I can be completely absorbed in my cover life doing the grocery shopping, and I could have multiple assignments roll in during that one hour!

I have perfected my signature play that I like to call “goon bowling”–and I use it almost every time I do my shopping. See, when I signed on with the Agency, I had this ultra-contagious joy pheromone implanted in me, so I can just activate it and watch it work as I walk down the supermarket aisles. People respond really well to it–I can knock the enemy goons off of them left and right by doing that one simple thing. Then, the Precious Ones will look at me with slight confusion, like they have just awakened and don’t know where they are. Lots of times, I just smile and mark them silently for the Agency, passing them on to the next field operative. But on occasion, I play up the cover and get involved. (I have become well versed in household cleaners, baking items and child rearing, so I am able to communicate fluently with the unsuspecting Precious Ones.) Then, at just the precise moment, I pass on the Director’s message for them and get to watch His key turn the lock in their hearts. I get to release captives, rescue slaves and hide escapees. I am authorized to reclaim personnel and bases of operation for the Agency at any point, in any place. There is no other job I know of that can compare to this. I was born for this!

I am currently in Medic training, which is something I never thought I would be doing. But I am really starting to be passionate about it. Oh, I had a few crash courses in earlier assignments about the broken-hearted, but this has been different. I am learning how to connect the broken bodies and minds of Precious Ones out in the field to the power of the Director. He is also the Chief Medic, and can heal anything just by a word or a touch from His hand. And His healing power is not limited to His command post location! The more I partner with Him, the more amazed I am at Him. There is no one like Him, that’s for sure.

How cool will it be to see this “mom” out in the field using Medic skills? I’m still kind of freaked out about it, but the Director is the real deal and He assures me that He’s got my back. I know He does, too, from all the other times we have worked together. He has made a believer out of me.

There are times that I come back from the field a little banged up, I won’t lie. Other operatives can be hurtful, and the enemy packs a powerful punch. I have had plenty of days where I had to run to the Director and just cry it out. I have had days where I needed emergency treatment to revive me and save my life. But the Director was there on time. Every time.

Yes, I get tired like everyone else. I have setbacks like everyone else. But there is nothing on this earth that I would rather be doing. I am proud to be an Agent! And I am humbled to be a Precious One whom the Director loves. His love and His constant presence fill me up and move me forward.

The Agency has become my whole world. My husband is an operative, too, and we are training our kids to handle weapons at an early age so they will have a head start on neutralizing the enemy. Some think this is a harsh way to live, or a “messy” way to live. We disagree. The battle is raging all around us, so we can’t just sit and watch the Precious Ones be defeated. The Director’s love in us won’t allow it. So, on we go with passion and fury, glory and joy. Honestly, it’s addicting.

After hearing my story, you might identify – or maybe you wish you could identify. I told you I was always recruiting… Our team is always open, and no previous experience is necessary. If you are interested in applying, here is the Director’s transmission to you:

[Meet Me in the secret location. Instructions to follow. Bring your heart.]

I hope to see you at the office! Maybe we’ll even get to work together sometime. I look forward to the day!

(But we never had this conversation.)

Crista Ashworth

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