"There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Many Sargeants like to get creative with PT, and one exercise involves doing a situp with a log on your chest. Actually it is a long log, with many Soldiers lined up on either side. One side goes down with the log and back up, transfers it to the Soldiers on the opposite side, and they go down.
Yesterday I found myself on the end, which should be a strong, anchorman position. The Soldiers opposite me quickly and intuitively realized I would need some help, and instead of waiting for me to rise from the situp, they reached down, grabbed the log, and lifted it onto their own chests. Part of me was embarrassed, but part of me was glad to give them a chance to help me out, and I thanked them profusely afterwards.
As an evangelical chaplain, I often find myself communicating broad, common-grace principles in groups, and looking for opportunities to communicate the specifics of the gospel to individuals. One of those principles is the encouragement to be good friends to one another. Sometimes young Soldiers show up to the unit without a friend, and often without the support of a healthy extended family behind them.
As Jesus is the one True Friend for us, we are called likewise to reach out to, sacrifice for, and carry the weight of, those around us.
God, that there would be healthy relationships within my Battalion, with less and less behavior problems, abuses, and unhealthy interaction. That those who are believers would be bright lights, having an impact on the consciences and behavior of the group as a whole.
And for several Soldiers I'm meeting with one-on-one, work by your Spirit to draw them to yourself, and grant me the words, time, patience, and love to help them along the way.
Amen!
Yesterday I found myself on the end, which should be a strong, anchorman position. The Soldiers opposite me quickly and intuitively realized I would need some help, and instead of waiting for me to rise from the situp, they reached down, grabbed the log, and lifted it onto their own chests. Part of me was embarrassed, but part of me was glad to give them a chance to help me out, and I thanked them profusely afterwards.
As an evangelical chaplain, I often find myself communicating broad, common-grace principles in groups, and looking for opportunities to communicate the specifics of the gospel to individuals. One of those principles is the encouragement to be good friends to one another. Sometimes young Soldiers show up to the unit without a friend, and often without the support of a healthy extended family behind them.
As Jesus is the one True Friend for us, we are called likewise to reach out to, sacrifice for, and carry the weight of, those around us.
God, that there would be healthy relationships within my Battalion, with less and less behavior problems, abuses, and unhealthy interaction. That those who are believers would be bright lights, having an impact on the consciences and behavior of the group as a whole.
And for several Soldiers I'm meeting with one-on-one, work by your Spirit to draw them to yourself, and grant me the words, time, patience, and love to help them along the way.
Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment