It wasn’t until I was about five minutes into my own battalion change of command ceremony last week that I finally realized I might actually get to serve as a commander of an Army unit—something I never thought I would get a chance to do.
Why was I so pessimistic, you ask? Because it’s been a bumpy road to get here, and God pulled me out of two command jobs before this… so naturally, when I got selected for a command position for the third time, earlier this year, I expected God to pull me out of it again.
But this time was different.
This time, God said I was ready.
This time, God said I carried his/her favor, so I would be successful.
This time, God said, was my time.
All of that may sound a little self-centered to you—in fact, it sounds a bit that way to me as I write it—but it’s not meant to be. When a person carries a calling from God for a long time, there is a longing to be able to finally do the thing that person has been waiting for and growing in. In my case, I have longed to be the kind of leader God has shaped me to be: a compassionate leader who can help the hurting and set the captives free. Twice before, I thought it was time to fulfill the longing God placed in my heart. Twice, I was disappointed with the lack of opportunity. By the third time, I may have allowed myself to slip into unbelief…
Have you ever been there?
Fulfilled Longings
That’s why my heart finally started beating a little faster as I heard the National Anthem playing in my own ceremony. “Oh!” I thought to myself. “This is really gonna happen this time.” “Yes, it is,” said God, “Your time is now.”
The ceremony continued, and after receiving the unit’s flag from my brigade commander at minute 14:45, and after listening to two motivating speeches by the brigade commander at minute 17:00 and outgoing battalion commander at minute 21:00, I got to give my first speech as a battalion commander at minute 30:00.
Thanks for sharing this moment with me. I never thought it would happen.