Last Updated on May 28, 2024 by OCF Communications
Too often Christians don’t share what’s going on in their lives—things that can encourage other believers and open their eyes to where and how God is working throughout the world. Here’s one such story about the work of Christ in one believer’s life.
In 1972, I graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and commissioned as an armor second lieutenant. My first assignment, following the Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Ky., was as an armored cavalry platoon leader in Troop C, 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 2d Infantry Division, in the Republic of Korea.
Prior to deploying to Korea, I made the obligatory trek to the U.S. Cavalry Store in Radcliff, KY., to stock up on all the things that I was told a budding cavalry officer would need: all-weather plastic map case? Check. Grease pencils of various colors? Check. Flashlight with assorted filters? Check. Tanker’s boots? Check. Cavalry brass? Check. Watch with luminous dial? Check. Camouflage cover for watch with luminous dial? Check. Many and sundry other junior officer necessities? Check, check, and check.
Having stocked up on everything a young cavalry officer could conceivably need, I felt ready to take on the world! I could hardly wait to get a platoon.
Once I arrived in Korea, I was assigned as the platoon leader of third platoon in “Charlie Troop.” My platoon was awesome—inspiring even. It consisted of four gun jeeps for my scout section (plus a gun jeep for me as platoon leader), two Sheridans for my light armored section, one armored personnel carrier (APC) for my infantry squad, and one mortar carrier for my 4.2-inch mortar squad.
I had my very own combined arms team! I could hardly wait to take my guys to the field.
A couple weeks or so after I became platoon leader, the entire squadron went to the field for a week’s tactical maneuver training. Charlie Troop was responsible for screening the right half of the division front. Charlie Troop’s three-line platoons were deployed with first platoon on the left, second platoon in the center, and third platoon on the right. Our mission was to seek out the enemy and report their positions and deployments to the troop command post.
I was so proud of my men. All day we carefully and covertly sought out the enemy, and I meticulously noted and reported the strength, activities, and locations of the opposing enemy force. I recorded and updated friendly force positions in black on my map case and enemy positions in red, grateful I had thought to stock up on everything I needed.
As I monitored the troop’s radio net that first day, I noted that my platoon seemed to be finding and reporting considerably more than the other two platoons. As it should be, I thought!
Just after dark that first day, the troop commander put out a radio call for all platoon leaders to rally to his location to receive the updated operations order for that night and the following day. Because we were observing tactical sound and light discipline, my trip to meet the troop commander and other platoon leaders was especially slow; my driver had to drive in pitch black using only the jeep’s blackout lights.
Since white light is visible at great distances at night, we platoon leaders—all inexperienced second lieutenants—had been reminded numerous times that we should only use red lenses on our flashlights.
Since we had the farthest to travel, my driver and I were the last to arrive at the troop commander’s location. As soon as I had dismounted my jeep, the troop commander immediately informed me he was going to brief the next day’s plan using my map case.
Yes! I knew for sure I had not missed anything that had transpired that day, and I felt honored that the troop commander had chosen to use my map case.
Photo by MSG Michel Sauret, USA
I stepped forward and quickly spread my map case on the hood of the troop commander’s jeep—and my heart stopped! I could hardly breathe. Every last thing I had recorded that day regarding the enemy situation was gone! I could almost see my budding career passing before my eyes. I knew my commander was going to jump all over me in front of everybody.
Before anyone could say a word to me, I brushed my hand over the map case where the enemy data should have been, and I could feel the grease marks. An instant later, though it seemed much longer to me, the first sergeant directed a green-lensed flashlight at my map case. The red marks literally jumped off the map case. All the marks that hadn’t been visible an instant before were clearly there. It dawned on me then: passing light through the red lens had “covered” the red marks and blotted them from sight.
Every time I think about it, it reminds me of Isaiah 1:18: “…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” I am reminded that when God the Father looks upon those of us who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb (as the old hymn goes), He looks at us through the shed blood of Jesus.
Just as the red markings on my map case were blotted out when I looked at them through the red light of my red-lensed flashlight, my sins of scarlet and crimson are blotted out when God looks at me through the shed Blood of His beloved Son, my Savior.
Amazing! I still get chills when I remember that moment. It’s as fresh to me today as it was then. I am astounded by the truths God has and continues to teach me through the simple circumstances of life. God converted the panic I felt during that moment in Korea from those “missing” red markings on the map into a life’s lesson that I share with others as one of the “parables” of my life God has given to me.
What parables has God given to you through the simple circumstances of your life that you can share with others? Too often Christians do not share with others what God is teaching them and doing in their lives, things that can encourage other believers and make them sensitive to God’s moving in the world—and even in their own lives.
Jesus is alive. He is dealing with us today. Share your story today. Remember Hebrews 3:13—“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
About the Author: Skip, a longtime OCF member who currently serves as legal advisor to the OCF Council, is Senior Counsel Emeritus at the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ). He is a 1972 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and served 22 years on active duty, including as NATO desk officer in the War Plans division of the Army Staff and as a military strategist for the Secretary of Defense in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Plans in the Pentagon.
Very informative, useful and nice article easy to understand.
Thank you so much for sharing this profound article.
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