U.S. Army Experience

My experiences in the U.S. Army boot camp were ~ oddly enough ~ amusing.  For instance, they spent 26 weeks trying to teach us how to march.  Their reasoning was “organized troop movements” ~ which is different from the “gaggle straggle” that most of us were more comfortable with. 

Anyway, one day they decided to give the command, “ABOUT FACE” ~ which in theory means that the whole platoon would be marching one direction and then in perfect unison, pivot together in a 180 degree movement and continue marching in perfect unison in the opposite direction without missing a step.

If YouTube would’ve been invented back in my boot camp days, they would have had a video gone viral with the “ABOUT FACE” command.  If they gave the command to commence with the “Hokey Pokey”, it wouldn’t have come off any more discombobulated. 

After calling for medics and emergency chopper evacs for the wounded, the Drill Sergeants never attempted that dangerous maneuver with the likes of my company. 

So in light of that fiasco, the Drill Sergeants invented a new marching command, just for us, “MARK TIME”.  Which simply meant that we were to (hopefully in unison) pick our feet up and set them down without going anywhere (or inflicting injury on our self or anyone else). 

Finally a military command that we were able to master.  If there was a competition for “MARK TIME” marching, we would’ve easily taken 3^rd or 4^th place. 

I am quite sure our Drill Sergeants were impressed with our “MARK TIME” skills because they would have us spend all day (and most of the night) in the company parking lot, refining our “MARK TIME” skills. 

We looked like a real army.  We had the commands of a real army.  But when it came to marching, we were seriously lacking.

How many people claim to be Christians ~ dress like Christians ~ talk like Christians ~ and for all appearances, seem to be “followers of Jesus Christ” but when you look below the surface, the findings are disturbing. 

Our spiritual-takeaway from this is quite simple:  “Are you the real deal when it comes to God or are you simply living a “MARK TIME” experience? "

Often people like the comfort and security that comes with being a “Christian” and stick their toes in the water but never go any further. 

Will you decide to allow God the authority to change your life? 

Will you decide to allow God’s Word the authority to change your life? 

Will you decide to allow God the authority to change your life patterns? 

Will you decide to allow God the authority to change your life goals?

Will you decide to allow God the authority to change your desires? 

“I am certain that God,

who began the good work within you,
will continue his work
until it is finally finished on the day
when Christ Jesus returns.” 
Philippians 1:6

“so, dear brothers and sisters,

I plead with you to give your bodies to God
because of all he has done for you.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice
—the kind he will find acceptable.
This is truly the way to worship him.
 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
but let God transform you
into a new person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.” 
Romans 12:1-2