This is what I told one lower enlisted soldier yesterday after watching him give a presentation on his new line of work here as part of his NCOPD (NCO Professional Development).
This soldier grew up in the projects of Norfolk and would have been resigned to the wasted lives of many of his peers, but through the influence of a few key people and a sense of self-determination.
Now, he serves our country and serves it well. Yesterday, he was articulate and thorough in his presentation. I am sure he brings the same competency to his work. He is also good friends with another lower enlisted soldier from the boonies who used to be racist. Only in the church and in the Army can two people from such different backgrounds be forged into friends.
We don't have many lower enlisted soldiers in our unit, but the ones we do have are tremendous. They defy the stereotypes of the poorly educated soldier. Many of them have Bachelor's degrees. Some are pursuing their Master's. Those without the education still have the drive and practical wisdom needed to succeed. They bring credit to the uniform and to our country.
They are also usually the first to be put in harm's way. Please pray for them--particularly that they would find their security in the true God, who will not let a hair fall from their heads but by His sovereign and gracious appointment.
Some fun news: I was able to convince about eight of our soldiers to run the shadow Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Chicago, though most of them had not run for weeks, were experiencing their first week in an absurdly high altitude, and were barraged by work day and night. Oh, and most had never run a half marathon before. And they did it on a treadmill. I am proud of each of them.
I plan to start a 5 Half club and a 10 Half club to help motivate our soldiers to run these shadow marathons. I also took my first boxing class last night, along with another soldier in my unit. I felt like a dummy, but there's nowhere to go but up! If we do this for a month, we decided we'll by our own wrist tape, since we're currently using cloths that have been worn by hundreds of other wannabe boxers and smell so bad that you need to wash your hands in ammonia afterward.
In these fun, morale-building activities, I will work to remind my soldiers that "for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
And true godliness comes from that vital connection to the true God found only in Jesus Christ.
