In The Army Now

I can remember when I was in high school about a few years ago and it seems like yesterday, that I had some of the most memorable times of my life. I had the opportunity to go to one of the most elite private military academies in the nation. Fork Union Military academy. When I entered my freshman year I was not aware of what I was really getting myself into. I can remember to this day the shaking of my hands and knees while the sweat rolled off my forehead. My nerves had gotten the best of me. I knew that I was in for something I didn’t want to face. I had heard of all the thingsthat could happen in a military academey. All the torture that they love to put freshman through. I just knew that I was going to be hamburger to these guys. As my parents walked me through the registration line, and took me to the supply building to receive my uniform and supplies I would need to be a cadet, I just wanted to go back home. But I knew that I had made a promise to my parents that I would go through with this until the end. Next came something that I was not prepared for. We were lead to a small building that had three swivel barber chairs. As I saw tears of big full grown boys leaving the building I knew I was not going to like this. I saw young men who had spent their whole life growing their hair come out crying. My hair was not too long but I did take pride in my appearance. Not any more. I had felt the buzz of the clippers flowing through my hair to the contour of my headand saw all those curls my mom loved fall into my lap. I just knew that I was going to be the laugh stock of this school. I didn’t shed any tears but it took everything I had to hold them in. I was on my way to become a military man, a cadet at the young age of 14 . After a long day my parents gave me what I thought would be my last kiss and hug. Tears filled many men that day as they sent their young boys to become young men. I was one of those to become a new person. As I had gotten settled in the yelling started and the interrogation began. Leaders came from all cracks of the rooms like cockroaches to break us of our cultural ways and to tech us that we are no different from one another. They instilled in us equality and teamwork. That no one person can make a difference big enough to impact the world we live in. We were humiliated in front of others which made us realize that we are no bigger or smaller that the person next to us. I finished my freshman year along with many and many would not finish. I returned to my sophomore year and the beginning would be memorable because now I was no longer the new guy, but I had not reached the leadership status in the military world. It was much easier but still it had its own challenges just like my freshman years. Again I had finished the year and I had lost more classmates. I returned for my junior year and senior years and thanks to God I graduated from one of the most elite military academies in our nation. I had accomplished what many had not. I had conquered a huge milestone in my life and become a young man. Little did I know that after going through college, a wedding, becoming a husband, a father that my high school was only preparing me for the real thing. The United States Army. I was going to face another battle where I was going to be broken of my character, to become a machine trained to defend our nation at whatever cost. My self esteem would be challenged and rebuilt. My demeanor would be reformed. I had never faced such challenges both mental and physical. My body would be put through the ultimate test to meet its breaking point. My mind would face the same. All this was done to show that once again I was no different from the person next to me. I could not win a battle on my own. I needed my fellow soldiers no matter what color, race, sex, or country they were from. We were to come together for a common cause. We were to fight for the same thing. Freedom was not free. I served for six years. I spent most of my time training away from my family, deployed to Kuwait, Bosnia, and other states. It was while I was in Kuwait that God touched my heart and spoke into my life. It was much easier to find him in peace than in the world with all the lies and deception. I realized that God has a much easier way to recruit someone, to train them, to change them and to send them into the battle. I thank God for sending His one and only Son to die for me. I thank God for helping me to realize that I am special but also that I am no different from anyone else. We must realize that it is going to take one another to win the battle over Satin. We have to put our differences aside for the Kingdom. Forget all the glamour, and pressure from the world to be something we are not. I thank God that I did not have to go through the things I went through in high school and the Army to be a Christian. He made it much easier for the transformation. It can be painful for some but in the end you know that He is there to hold you, love you and comfort you. The military didn’t offer this. Society can not offer us what Christ can give us. The world cannot change you the way that God can change you. I say this to bring a point that if we want to make change in our world we have to come together, putting all differences aside, grab hold of the things God has for us. Go into battle knowing our battle buddy is Jesus Christ.
Basic training in Gods army is much easier than the world’s army and much more rewarding.