Mar 12, 2026 – Prepared
In proofreading yesterday’s blog before posting, I thought about my father and something my sister, Mary Beth, wrote in a text recently after I shared a card, with her and our brother, that I found while going through more of Daddy’s things. It was from a young Ranger, who retired after 12 years of service and was in college at the time of the card. He concluded his very honoring note with, “My time in combat cannot compare to yours. The doctrine and tactics your generation passed down to mine has saved countless lives and made Rangers one of the most lethal fighting forces to ever exist.”
This was Mary Beth’s response: “I remember one time in Va Beach, [where we spent most of our growing up years] I went upstairs when Daddy was working on the computer. I jumped out and said boo. Dad didn’t jump or yell; he remained calm. I believe that was due to good training. It would be dangerous if he reacted out in the field. Another time, I asked Dad if he had ever experienced PTSD. He said no because he had good training.”
The value of good training reveals itself in every area of life: school, work, marriage, parenting, friendships, volunteering and of course in our faith. The reason we can walk through dark valleys without fear (Psalm 23:4) is because we spend time learning about God and we spend time learning from God so that we are prepared, because of His Presence, for anything that crosses our paths. Because of our faith training, the “boos” of life don’t have to upset us and render us helpless.
JA – “Waiting, trusting, and hoping are intricately connected…. Because you are Mine, you don’t just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust.” Like a trained and prepared soldier, “Keep your ‘antennae’ out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence.”
Power – Joyce writes, “The Word of God instructs us to desire peaceful relations with God, with ourselves, and with one another. It actually says [1 Peter 3:11] we are not merely to desire them, but to pursue and go after them.” The more we pursue something, or someone, the more we learn and the better prepared we are.
JA – “The more attentive you are, the more you can find Me in the details of your day…. Fill your mind and heart with Scripture, where I reveal Myself more clearly. Let My promises permeate your thinking [training and preparedness] and keep you close to Me.” See Psalm 16:11, Jeremiah 29:13, and John 10:27-28.
