Being a Chaplain means you are a staff officer and that alone means you have some special requirements. 1. You have to support and manage the commanders ministry program...or develop one that they approve of and 2. Attend plenty of meetings that support future operations...this means you must be available. Most don't realize that the ROTC program operates one of the largest troop movements every single summer in America. Imagine 13000+ troops, living, eating, being transported and other logistical nightmares in about a 4 block area. And what I have to do is maintain four different training schedules and in a few weeks 600+ cadets and over 100 cadre. Being competent at your job is vitally important or else people won't even eat with you at the DFAC, dinning facility.
Well, I was beginning to doubt, question, maybe even worry about how competent I would be in this new location. However, I have grown to learn that when someone needs encouragement and confirmation God generally provides it in unique ways. One day, I looked over and behold a new 2ND LT who I was his Chaplain when he was going through the ROTC program a few years ago. We caught up with each other and he stated the most humbling thing ever, that I was one of the reasons why he made it through his training. Later that day, my Chaplain battle buddy and I did a Brief before the entire cadre staff as to why we were here. After that Brief another fresh LT came up to me and stated that if it wasn't for her Chaplain she wouldn't be here today. The following morning the commander sat and had break feast with me and my battle buddy and openly shared his faith-a great conversation. Later that same day during the staff Brief the commander stated that he was going to start with the Chaplain 0_o Before all the training officers, before all these majors and colonels, and all these people who hold great amounts of worldly power who does the commander turn to first? The one who is to represent God.
And there we find the importance of it all. Its not simply about having competence but as Proverbs 22:1 states its about having a reputation. And that reputation is more than just my own personal name its coming to the understanding that all my actions, the very words I say, the very actions of my life is to be formed and fashioned after God and his imagine, 2 Cor. 5:20. How humbling is it that God will use me in 2 simple minutes to provide a "word of the day" to experienced and powerful men and that message can bring moments of peace into their lives. How humbling, how powerful does God use his people! Truly the feet are beautiful that carry the good news, Isiah 52:7. Let us then represent God well, not in means to build merit, but in the understanding that God desires us to know his peace, know his love, know his presences so that we may be a Godly presence to others around us.
And there we find the importance of it all. Its not simply about having competence but as Proverbs 22:1 states its about having a reputation. And that reputation is more than just my own personal name its coming to the understanding that all my actions, the very words I say, the very actions of my life is to be formed and fashioned after God and his imagine, 2 Cor. 5:20. How humbling is it that God will use me in 2 simple minutes to provide a "word of the day" to experienced and powerful men and that message can bring moments of peace into their lives. How humbling, how powerful does God use his people! Truly the feet are beautiful that carry the good news, Isiah 52:7. Let us then represent God well, not in means to build merit, but in the understanding that God desires us to know his peace, know his love, know his presences so that we may be a Godly presence to others around us.