Back in 1999, I was privileged to be selected to the Honorary Commanders program of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. It is a program designed to inform members of the local community about our Armed Forces and how they interact with our community. We had the opportunity to visit the NORAD facility at Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, tour the U.S.S. George Washington Aircraft Carrier in Norfolk, Virginia, go to Pensacola to the Naval Aviation Museum, and San Antonio to visit a facility there. One of the highlights of the year for me however was when we flew via C-130 to Parris Island, South Carolina to visit the United States Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot.
We had a rather bumpy flight from Dobbins Air Reserve Base here in Marietta. I narrowly avoided getting air sickness. I did learn that the young loadmaster for the airplane did get sick! After deplaning, we drove onto the base. We pulled up to an innocuous looking building; there we were met by a Drill Sergeant, Sergeant Major White Bear, who happened to be female. She jumped on the bus and immediately ordered us all to stand at attention. After a few giggles, she made it abundantly clear that there would be no talking, that we
were to exit the bus and form up in front of the bus on what is known as “the golden footprints.” We were marched into the recruit depot in a single file line.
We were allowed to stand at ease once inside. There she explained that what we experienced was a small taste of what a new Marine recruit experiences in the first minutes of his time on base…with a slight exception. The marines gather all new recruits at a bus and they do not report to the base until two a.m.! They are kept up all night getting processed in to their units.
We then toured different training areas of the base. We watched hand-to-hand combat training and firearms training and were able to eat lunch with the new recruits. There were some recruits that were in the final phase of training called “The Crucible” It is a ninety-six hour endurance test which culminates with a run back to the Iwo Jima Memorial replica where they were awarded the coveted Eagle, Globe and Anchor, which signifies you have become a United States Marine. We saw huge guys cry with pride and joy at their ceremony.
One thing that stayed with me was the pride the soldiers shared with being a Marine. Their motto, Semper Fidelis, (Latin for “Always Faithful”) or as they say “Semper Fi” separates them as a special fighting force, which they share for the rest of their lives. However, the most significant thing that I learned was told to us by the Drill sergeant. “During their training, we break them down to build them up.” This meant that they took them from being self-centered individuals to proud members of an elite fighting force of war fighters who instantly obeyed an order from a superior.
In working out with weights, the theory of breaking down to build up also applies.
In building muscle by lifting weights, you are actually tearing down the muscle. The healing process then builds muscle bigger and stronger. As one who has recently started lifting weights again, I can attest to the painful part of breaking down the muscle. But I am also beginning to see results.
This “breaking down to build up” reminds me of Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” God desires for us to surrender our self-will and acknowledge our dependence on Him. We need to be broken. Our pride says we can handle anything that life throws at us. God will sometimes use adverse circumstances to break us of that prideful spirit so that we can be built up to the likeness of Christ. Just as the Marine training is tough and painful, so is the training we receive from God. We must stay with it so that someday, hopefully we can say to God….”Semper Fi”
MINISTRY NEWS:
Participated in a weekend retreat for young African American males of high school age from the Atlanta area. We went to a cabin outside Rome, GA. for a weekend where we had them participate in shooting clay pigeons, fishing, archery, and woodworking, as well as devotionals and testimonies during the weekend. We also took them to the Rome Braves game, an Atlanta Braves farm club.
The two Friday groups continue to do well. We are finishing up studies in both groups this month. In the Friday Morning group, we will start a book study on the bestselling book, “The Shack” by William Young. In the Friday Lunch group, we will begin a video study from The Visual Bible on “The Gospel of John.”
Individual meetings with men continue daily with a variety of issues being dealt with, such as marriage, employment, and health issues.
Of Note: We have been dealing with an embezzlement issue involving a disabled friend of mine. Special thanks go out to Mark Bullman, an outstanding attorney, who has given much excellent counsel and assistance to this man to help recover embezzeled funds, also to Dwayne Lambing and Gene DiBardinis for helping with this gentleman’s financial affairs, and Tony Harris and the McMennamy family for assistance with this gentleman’s property issues. 40 ('I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.')(Matthew 25:40)
MINISTRY NEEDS:
§ Another Men’s Breakfast group to facilitate
§ Additional Funding Sources
Christ - The ReeseSource - The Newsletter of Net Work Ministries, Inc.