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Assuming once more that I'm writing this for someone who is a Christian in the armed forces somewhere, I'm sure my experience in military life of finding plans dramatically changed at short notice has echoes in your life. When this has happened, there has often been a ribald comment by someone, like 'if you couldn't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined!' It reflects the recognition that one of the certainties of military life is it's uncertainty.
A month ago I was having an amazing experience, attending an international conference of the key people who work for the Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF), for the Association for Christian Conferences, Teaching and Service (ACCTS), and for Accts Military Ministries International (Accts MMI). There were close to 100 people who brought an immense richness of Christian and military experience together, and we all felt greatly inspired by it. As we all work in the same area of ministering to Christians in the armed forces of all nations, we were there to agree together on where God was leading us over the next 5 years.
There was one military couple there from a country in South Asia who have become close friends of mine over some years. We talked and prayed about all sorts of things we thought God had in store for us. Shortly after our week together this couple returned to the country in S Asia where they worked. Two days later they were in their home church service when a man rushed in and threw grenades at the congregation, killing five worshippers, and seriously wounding many others. By God's grace, my friends had been delayed in getting to church, so they were prevented from sitting in their usual place, which probably saved their lives, and certainly saved them from serious injury.
This was not a military situation, but it was unpleasantly like one, and it reminds us how dramatically we can be precipitated into something alarming and totally unexpected at short notice. This can equally apply to a sudden and unexpected posting, either into a conflict situation, or to a normal posting in a totally unfamiliar setting. This is the current experience of a Christian army family I know in South Asia. Either way it can be very unsettling. But as Christians we have the tremendous joy of knowing that it is no surprise to God, and he has our best interests in mind.
Someone once said to me 'If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!' A few years ago, I was settled in a good military headquarters job near my home, with promotion as a possible outcome. I was called into my boss's office who told me that a big reorganisation meant that I was going to be moved, and within a matter of weeks I found myself serving in Nigeria, in a job that had no promotion prospects. From the point of view of my career it was a disaster. However, it introduced me to what God was doing amongst military people in a totally unfamiliar country. This was the start of His leading me into international ministry amongst military people, and I can't thank the Lord enough for it.
God wants us to be ready for the unexpected, in both our military and our Christian lives. He warns us about complacency. Have a look at James 4. 13-15 and 2 Corinthians 1. 8-11. Notice especially v 11, which emphasises the prayer support we need in order to receive the unexpected in the right way. In Military Christian Fellowship, we all need to have people praying for us who understand our situation. If you don't have that support, I would encourage you to seek it, perhaps asking some retired military Christians to pray for you. If you don't have that sort of prayer support and would like prayer about something just now, do e-mail me at headoffice@acctsmmi.com . If you have even read this with interest, do let me know; you would encourage me that I am not wasting my time! You don't have to give your personal details. You might have a suggestion about a contribution that would help.
Michael
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Most recent update: 28 July 2002
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