Branching

I'm down at Ft. Benning this weekend to see Andy graduate into the second phase of officer candidate school. This afternoon he got to choose what branch of the army he was going to devote his life to. There were only certain choices available, and his first choices were already taken, but we are happy to be Chemical. We prayed for God to put us where we could best be used, and trust that He will help us live that prayer to it's fullest.

At the ceremony celebrating this next step they had a guest speaker. He had a career similar to Andy's. 8 years enlisted, then followed up with OCS. He graduated in 1967 though! At the end of his encouraging speech he read a prayer that he has carried with him from his time on the army football team back in his enlisted years. I thought it was beautiful and wanted to share.

Dear God,
Help me to be a sport in this little game of life. I don't ask for any place in the line-up. Play me where you need me. I only ask for the stuff to give you one hundred percent of what I've got. If all the hard drives come my way I thank you for the compliment. Help me to remember that you won't let anything come that you and I together can't handle. Help make me to take the bad breaks as part of the game. Help make me thankful for them.
And God, help me to always play fair, no matter what the other players do. Help me to come clean. Help me to see that often the best part of the game is helping others. Finally God, if fate seems to uppercut me with both hands, and I'm laid up on the shelf in sickness or old age, help me to take that as part of the game also. Help me not to whimper or squeal that the game was a frame-up or that I had a raw deal. When in the dusk, I get the final bell, I ask for no lying complimentary stories. I'd only like to know that I've been a good guy.

Well said. I guess Amen is what sums that up. Blessings,