Dear Son,
When my alarm sounded early this morning, the gentle sounds of birds overlaying serene piano melody, my thoughts went to you and how different your daily pre-dawn wakeup call must be. “Lights! Lights!” shout the drill instructors running down the squad bay past eighty five beds, banging on metal garbage cans. “Get out of the racks! Get on the line!” Immediately wide awake, you stumble around to put on your socks and you straighten up in attention just in time to count down. From this moment for the next 16 hours you’ll be pushed hard, physically and mentally, all the way seemingly past your limits and abilities. You’ll have to be on high alert all day, not knowing when the next challenge will be thrown at you.
Day after day it’ll be your drill instructor’s one and only job to break you down and to make you believe that as an individual you are useless, and have nothing to offer to the Marine Corps and to your country. You’ll only be of any worth if you become a fully integrated part of a seamless unit, a living, breathing, fighting machine. Time after time you’ll be in the infamous sand pit doing countless pull-ups and push-ups, until the muscles in your entire body tremble and you can’t keep yourself from throwing up. All you’ll be allowed to say is “Yes sir!” No other words will ever leave your mouth.
My heart aches when I think about your pain, and I pray that your spirit will not be broken. Within it your true strength lies. You’ll have to dig very deep to tap into it. At times it will seem like there is nothing left in you. You’ll be at the end of yourself numerous times. You’ll feel like a lone tree bending under strong winds. One might expect it to break and collapse any minute. But the severity of the storm will only make its roots grow stronger. It will not break. It will become more grounded.
Our Christian walk is a lot like boot camp. We arrive with all kinds of baggage from our past life which we lived in the flesh. It will do us no good to hold on to it. We are asked to surrender, to lay down everything near and dear to our heart. And finally we are asked to die to ourselves. Only then can we truly live. And we’d better hold on for the ride!
I consider myself a strong and resilient person, but despite this, I am acutely aware that my individual strength will eventually fail me. It is just not enough. I need my strength to be rooted and derived from the Lord’s mighty and abundant power. This power is not subject to illness, circumstances, weather conditions, mood, or the way people choose to treat me. This is not the kind of strength which can be replenished with a little extra sleep and a hearty meal. Neither is it something that can be earned. It is free and, like fresh water in a well, it is always there, ready to be drawn on at any time. You have to go and get it, but you don’t have to go far. Then you get to drink and be refreshed, and your stamina restored. It never runs out. Its source is deep. There is no limit to how much you can have. Sometimes we take this strength for granted. Other times we take credit for what it accomplished. But the harder our life circumstances become, the more we realize that we just can’t do without it.
Son, on my life journey, I’ve been to the end of myself and my own resources many times. Finding yourself there can be really scary but this is where God’s mighty power kicks in. When invited, divine strength replaces human weakness. When you find yourself in those impossible situations, and you have nothing left in the tank to keep going, you need to choose to step on the ROCK and stand confidently. In the middle of your weakness, you will be supported by God’s strength to get you through the storm. It’s because the Lord is never too far to catch you when you start falling. He walks with you, so close that you can lean on Him when you feel too weak to go on.
There were times when in my darkest of darkness I called out “Lord! Where are you? I need you now!” But then I realized that He’s never been further than a whisper away. He heard every groan of my weary heart and He saw my tears. The fact that I’m still walking along this path called life is because He’s been holding me up.
The same strength and power is there for you too. It’s okay to admit your weakness and even your fears. But you don’t have to be there alone. You’ll never know the true meaning of victory unless you have tasted defeat. You can’t say you are brave if you haven’t known fear. Likewise, you know nothing about true strength unless you have felt powerless.
It is because of this strength, you will get through the challenge, and you will earn the title of the United States Marine. You will wear the uniform with pride and dignity because you were willing to be broken, and then built up again. Until then, however great the challenge you will face next, remember that the Lord is greater. “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Is 40:29). When you are weak, He is strong, and you can do everything through Christ, who gives you strength. So the next time you find yourself having to climb a mile high wall, and the word “impossible” starts forming in your mind, think instead:”All things are possible for those who believe!” (Mark 9:23).
Hold on to the words which bring life, words which carry strength, and words which give birth to hope.
Living them out is true power. When you leave your comfort zone and resist the fear of failure, you will make room for the divine. When you tap into the inherent strength which was poured into you by the Almighty God Himself, His power will be manifested in your life.
But remember, son, you can’t give God half of your heart and half of your soul. You can’t surrender only some of your life. When you seek Him, you have to pursue Him with all you have. Put your entire heart into it. Lay down what you can’t keep and you’ll gain what you can’t lose. Live for Him with passion and intensity which burns like a fire. This is the best way to be alive, because “His faithful love endures forever”. (**)
I’m always here for you with my love and support,
MoM (Mother of Marine)
*SEMPER FIDELIS – Latin phrase that means “always faithful”. In the United States it is best known as the motto of the US Marine Corps.
** “His faithful love endures forever” – a phrase I found in the Scriptures 42 times. Hence, “the original Semper Fidelis”.