Dad at basic training. He took tank training at Fort Knox, KY.
My granddaughters and I were recently looking at pictures of my dad as a very young man entering the Army in WWII. His uniform was crisp and new, and his shoes very shiny. At the time, I’m sure he had no idea what that uniform, and his future, would look like.
Shortly before he went into the hospital for his last time, at age 91, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “You don’t ever want to be on the battlefield.” I thought at the time, what an odd thing to say. But later, I realized he may have been “making his peace” with whatever experiences he had in the war, knowing his time was short.
As a young man, he had been musical, and wrote fun, creative little poetry. One of his dear friends also told me that he had a sentimental side, which I didn’t really see as a child. Thinking about the extreme experiences he had as a young tank commander in France, Italy, and Germany, what he must have seen, and how it changed him forever, I suddenly saw a parallel to the Christian life.
My Dad is on the right and his older brother Bernard is on the left. They served at the same time. A miniature of this photo was inside the locket I found among my Grandmother’s effects. I can only imagine what my Grandmother felt having 2 sons in service at the same time.
At the time of our conversion, we take on our new life and become part of Christ’s army. Our uniforms (inner spirits) are freshly cleaned and made new. Under the command of the Holy Spirit, we follow orders to take ground for The Kingdom. In that process we might take all manner of incoming fire, look for cover, and go hand-to-hand with the enemy. Our “uniforms” become dirty, torn, odorous, and disheveled in pursuit of the objective. Although ultimate victory is promised, the dirty, gritty, scarring process to get there may leave us with wounds our comrades can’t see.
I saw Christians as “soldiers “, walking through our battlefield here on earth, emerging from the clearing smoke of battle, in tattered dirty uniforms, bruised, torn, achingly tired and bedraggled. But victorious in Jesus.
If we follow orders and get into the battle, we will suffer. It’s a given, and Jesus warned us in advance. But, if we stay the course, at the end of our battle, there will be new “uniforms”, and commendations from our Commander In Chief (Revelation 19:14). Praise God!
