Profiles In Resilience

USAF Chief of Chaplains Robert Preston Taylor

What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice
and to do good in one’s lifetime;
moreover, that every man who eats and drinks
sees good in all his labor–it is the gift of God.
~ (Ecclesiastes 3:9, 12, 13)

“It was the first day of the term, and 16 West Point cadets were filing into their C Hour class in Leadership in Thayer Hall.  At 09:50, the instructor called the class to attention, received the attendance report from the section marcher, and told the cadets to take their seats.  ‘There’s one interesting thing you should know about me,’ the instructor said, ‘I’m blind.  I can’t see anything.  So, raising your hand in this class is pretty much going to be a waste of time.’ 

What did this process of bouncing back…look like for Allen Clark, Vietnam Veteran, successful banker, distinguished leader in the Department of Veterans Affairs, founder of the Combat Faith ministry to veterans, and author of Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior, a personal story of a Vietnam Veteran who lost his legs, but found his soul?…a few snapshots of Allen experienced inexplicable loss in his life: the loss of his two legs, and the shattering of dreams for the future.

We can spiritually “weather the storms” with prayer. May we unashamedly cry out to God in prayer. God does not need our call out to Him to be highly sophisticated–it’s simply honest and real communication with the living God.