“No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” II Timothy 2:4
As I little girl of a War Veteran, I thought it was completely normal to spend a weekend night with our whole family looking at slides from Viet Nam. My dad loves to tell stories, and he almost always includes something from his time at war. He’s told me stories of bridges being blown to pieces, villages set on fire, sleeping under his truck in the mud and rain, and sadly of his buddies not making it home.
My dad witnessed firsthand the brutality of war for 364 days. He said he was required to “pull guard” for several hours and then try to sleep for a few hours while the monsoon dumped buckets of water on his head and bombs exploded in the near distance.
He said it was all he could do to keep his sanity and his mind alert. Much of what he learned in the military training was repetitive behavior that would hopefully save his life during war. Things like drill tests for loading and unloading his gun, packing the right gear, and even keeping in step with his platoon were habits he leaned on for survival.
What skills are we learning and habits are we building as Christians that will help us survive when the effects of a fallen world crash into our lives? Memorizing God’s Word? Spending intentional time with other Christians? Talking to God? Confession? Adoration? Listening to worship? Sharing our hearts authentically?
During some of the darkest days of my life, after the loss of my precious son, my dad shared this simple, yet powerful habit of survival in our Christian walk. Keep marching. My dad has lived this out in his own painful trials. He continues to march and to live boldly for Jesus through the tears that life brings.
The Bible talks about Christians as soldiers who are to wear the full armor of God. There is a spiritual battle at hand. Keep marching.
As you face difficult, painful days, take the advice of my soldier dad, and keep marching. What you are facing may feel too heavy and you feel weary, but God invites you to lay it all down at His feet (Matthew 11). Lift your eyes to our King and march this race He has set out for you.
There are many wonderful ways of walking with God through hard times, but sometimes the simple advice is actually what we can accomplish today. Simply: one foot in front of the other.
Keep marching, soldier.
Keep marching.
You are not alone.
*Click the video below to hear more from my dad and his time in Vietnam.
