My Calling - Your Calling - Our Calling

Years ago I read The Friendship Factor by Alan Loy McGinnis. There was no particular reason other than it was on the current book lists; it showed up on my desk, and I had the time available. But, as with most things there truly was a reason. It freed me from many of the guilts I carried around over lost friendships whether they were good or bad. What went wrong? What happened? Why?

The point of the book was that friendships often happen for a purpose or a season; not necessarily forever. We change, friendships change, and the world around us changes and people are in our lives for a reason, one that we may or may not always know. Sometimes nothing went wrong; nothing happened except that we both met each other’s needs for that moment and time, and now it is time to move onto other things.

I believe our callings are similar. We don’t become ‘uncalled’ but the direction of our call can change; oft times radically. We are not necessarily called to the Army or missions or anything specific. Not most of us anyway. I know there are a few who have specific callings but I think they are farther and fewer than we like to admit. In fact, I can only think of one person I have ever met that truly fit the description of someone called to such a specific place and purpose. She met resistance at every level from childhood through young adulthood. Everything was thrown into her path to deter her but in the end she made it and served in the capacity to which she was called for many, many years; in a very successful manner. The fruit was born to prove the call.

Most of us are called to Him and Him alone. How we serve will fluctuate with time and experience and circumstance. If as officers, it would change with every move. It is an ebb and tide life we live, always.

To those who say…but but but my covenant, I say, pshaw. We (Soldiers, Officers, and others) break covenants all the time. That is not an excuse for leaving. That is not an excuse for breaking a covenant but it is reality. People leave marriages – broken covenant with a spouse. People don’t pay bills – broken covenant with a lender. People call in sick when in reality they are not – broken covenant with a boss. People promise children things they cannot deliver – broken covenant. People return library books late – broken covenant. Doing a little too much work on your child’s science project so they get a better grade? Broken covenant. Add peace agreements. Late mortgage payments. Sneaking in a little snack in the produce department. Broken covenants with someone somewhere.

My covenant with the Army was broken long before I left. My job was not really “to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life, to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend those who have no friends”. My job was to keep the dog and pony show alive and well; to wear a uniform and look Army. It was to keep the United Way happy so the money kept rolling in even though it meant agreeing not to leave War Cry copies for the prisoners, to not require Bible study for the sheltered, and virtually no witness to anyone outside of a Sunday morning when for all intensive purposes I was preaching to the choir. It was to keep DHQ happy even to the point of being scolded for keeping accurate statistics since they were lower than the previous year. My job was to administrate and manage 50 or 60 hours a week and then somehow, as if by magic, appear fresh as a daisy on Sunday morning and deliver some sort of spiritual fodder to the Soldiers. Leading praise and worship was the highlight of my week and as my dear friend L would say, God worked in spite of us, not because of us, for many times the spirit took hold through my exhaustion.

Few were saved under my witness. How could they be? My witness was to all things and all people Army. I RARELY saw or met anyone outside of the Army.



The Soldiers were kept busy by the corps, at the corps, in the corps and rarely had time to socialize with those outside as well. How were they to witness to the unsaved? They had no time to visit or befriend anyone outside the group. Busy. Busy, busy, busy.

The Army tradition of ‘being about the business of saving souls’ has become being about the business of being about the business of saving souls though I am inspired by the War Colleges, the 614 Corps, Danielle Strickland and others who are moving toward the ‘old Army’ ways of Booth. Perhaps renewal is at hand.

My covenant with God, however, remains intact. I am still, and always will be, God’s Messenger. In fact, I am more able “to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” outside the constraints of the Army and officer-ship. I know in great deal my free-spirited nature and liberal beliefs weren’t a good fit with the Army and I thank God for the release and the revelation that I can be a much better, happier, and productive Sally Ann by being true to myself which allows me to serve Him in ways and places that continue to surprise me.

I will always respect the Army’s true soul and spirit. I will always love the people I met who were purely and unadulteratedly in love with Christ. I will always stand in awe of the chance the Army gave me to learn about matters triune, Army, and self.

Former
USA