September Chaplain's Reflections
MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, South Carolina -- "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 (NLT)
Have you ever bit into a piece of fruit and found that the beautiful, luscious outside did not reflect the bruised inside? I was enjoying a nectarine with my daughter the other night and I raved about how good they tasted. We used to grow some the size of softballs at my childhood home in California. Truth be known, I was quite shocked to discover a mushy tasteless inner fruit. This disappointment made me set the fruit aside.
Likewise, when we face trials and our inner self is revealed, it is good to know that God does not set us aside. In those moments, God is cleaning out the bruised flesh in our life to reveal the true us. When we feel set aside by others, or by life, what do we do? Do we hide behind a smile and respond, "I am good?" I thought about this same analogy when reading a book called "Replenish" by Lance Witt. He shares a Latin phrase on an ancient shield which says, Esse Quam Videri which means "to be rather than appear to be."
As I thought about the meaning of why this phrase graced the shields of warriors, I wondered how appearances can make us stumble and even fall in battle. Sometimes it may seem easier to hide behind a facade, but the saving truth lies in striving to be real. In a Christian's life we are told to lay down our burdens and what entangles us. Surrender takes more effort than we imagine. It sometimes means setting pride, self-centeredness, and false ambition aside to gain strength where growth and perfect ripening need to occur.
Worship Schedule
Saturday
Maintenance (hangar) & SFS after roll call
Sunday
0815 - 0845 - Traditional Worship (Wing HQ Auditorium)
1100 - 1130 - Contemporary Worship (Wing HQ Auditorium)
1330 - 1400 - Catholic Mass (Eagle Vision Conference Room)