Third Wheel

Last week I had a surreal moment, finding myself laying down in a field at night in the middle of nowhere, Ft Bragg.  I had visited a company 'in the field,' spending a day and night with them during their training exercises.  One chaplain had lamented to me some months ago that he often feels like a third wheel when with his Soldiers, not being able to do everything they are doing, often just standing around.  I can relate, as I had stood around my Soldiers for a few hours while they waited and took turns firing their pistols at targets. 

But I also have been told, that it is often simply the Chaplain's presence, especially when they are dirty, or cold, or away from home, that gives them encouragement.   That was the case this day and night, as many Soldiers, especially officers communicated to me they appreciated me being there, and that no former chaplain had ever come out like that over night.  Knowing this is true, I seek to embrace being a Third Wheel, trusting that it will bring about good, and opportunities to develop relationships over time as Soldiers grow in their trust of me.

During a period of down time that night, I took a walk, and just rested in a field, stared up at the stars, and recounted Ps 19--"The heavens declare the glory of God..."

Thank you God, for your beauty, as expresses so clearly through creation.  Thank you for the opportunity to counsel a number of Soldiers last week.  Thank you for the chance to debrief with a group who had responded to a traumatic incident

Thank you for the answer to prayer, in the chance to communicate the gospel to someone who thought Christianity was all about being good.  Thank you that it is first and foremost about Jesus being good for us, and on our behalf!  Please give me more opportunities to be an explicitly Christian Chaplain.  Please help me continue to overcome my fear of man.  Please grant me opportunities to assist, and advise my command team, building a relationship with them as well.

Nothing can hinder the Lord

"Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many, or by few."  I read this, one of my favorite quotes this morning as I slowly work through the Bible-in-a-year in 2 1/2 years.  Thank you God for another mini snow-storm, for cancelled work, for sleeping-in kids, and for several hours of quiet and a rare, unhurried, long chunk of time to read and pray.  May they be more frequent.

These words were spoken by Jonathan as he attacked a Philistine garrison, and yet there is a spiritual meaning as well:  Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether through Ted Hamm, or Billy Graham."  Do I believe this? I do believe, Lord, help my unbelief!  I also read of Israel's hard hearts.  I also read of God filling David with his spirit after the beautiful transition from the darkness of 1 Sam 15 to the hope of 1 Sam 16.  I also read this morning, "The battle belongs to the Lord." 

God, I am a mere vessel, a jar of clay.  Fill me with your Spirit and the powerful truths of the Gospel, awake as in days of old to soften hard hearts; in wrath, remember mercy; open blind eyes to the hopelessness, the waywardness, the emptiness of lives without you.   Help me to be faithful as your servant, to be ready to give a reason for the hope within, as I re-commit to memory the gospel summary in Two Ways to Live, and open deaf ears to hear and respond to the gospel.  Grant me opportunities to be an explicitly Christian Chaplain, and not just a really nice guy. 

I pray that my car would make it to Pawley's Island this weekend to join my family who has gone ahead, I pray you would help me continue to learn the acronyms of the Army, to understand the 'battle rhythm' of training, to understand the training calendar of our unit so I can find out where groups of Soldiers are and can join them as they train.  Thank you for the privilege to pray for the Soldiers who went on the jump last week, and for the two scared Soldiers I was able to minister to more specifically.  Give me the words to pray as I get ready to pray at a change of command ceremony next week.  Help me to be a comforting, encouraging presence, and much, much more.  

"Let him do what is good in his eyes."

"He is the Lord, let him do what is good in his eyes."  This is what Eli said to Samuel upon the news that his sons would be judged and his line would end.  Praise God that my lost cell phone was turned in today.  I don't know the circumstances yet, but I'm thrilled to have it back.  In the grand scheme of things, this is a very small detail and a minor nuisance.  And yet in the moment, it is a big headache, and a temporary crisis.  I don't know why God allowed that to happen.  Maybe it was so that I, in brokenness, could remind my kids that I am forgetful, it is in my blood, and unfortunately it is in theirs too.  And that when I scold them about putting things away in the right place, and not setting things down in random places, it is out of a recognition of my own sin, and it is something they will also have to work on. 

Sometimes it is issues much bigger than a lost phone, in this case, the loss of children, where we are challenged and called to say, "Let him do what is right in his own eyes."   Outside of Christ, such losses are sheer terror.  Yet hidden in him, we can trust that what he deems good is also for our good.

Praise God for more and more opportunities to interact with Soldiers, that most recognize me as Chaplain, that some are coming by asking for prayer, that I have been invited to pray for a unit before their jump tomorrow.  God, give me the strength, courage, and the opportunities, to be distinctly Christian Chaplain, not just a Chaplain, and not just another really nice guy.