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Although there were many hardships in the United States Army there were also some very interesting experiences. My challenge to “Be all that you can be” took form as a Chaplain’s Assistant. It was a more relaxed assignment than one might think, being stationed in our Nation’s capital, Washington DC. But it also had its challenges. Working in a chapel office entailed many duties including typing, cleaning up after services and a host of other things. It isn’t as glorious as it might sound because chaplains can be pretty demanding people. You may think of them as being kind, loving, gentle, and patient, but you find out just how human they are when you work directly for them. One day I was instructed to take the chapel sedan and deliver some papers to a certain place in the Pentagon. I was both nervous and excited thinking about this historic but also very official building. I had never been there up to that time so I had no idea, except for the written instructions, of where I was going. The Pentagon not only has five sides but also several different depths. I can tell you that once you enter the building you really want to know where you are and where you’re going because it all looks alike. I always prided myself on my sense of direction and I was determined that I would mentally mark the exact path taken in and just do it in reverse coming out. That’s exactly what I did. I took my time and marked each turn, even counting the number of steps between turns. This was going to be a piece of cake! I got to my destination, delivered the papers then upon dismissal began my journey out. I was completely confident that I would be out of there and back to the chapel in record time. “Wait a minute; didn’t I pass that picture a while ago?” I began to get worried, but I kept going. “Well, I don’t remember that table at all.” I had to face it, I had made all the right turns in reverse but I definitely wasn’t going out the way I came in. Then I remembered that this was one of the highest security buildings in the city of Washington, DC. I couldn’t act suspicious or I might find myself surrounded by guards. That would not help my time in getting back to the chapel. It also wouldn’t help my already bruised ego. They had to be going behind me and moving the furniture around after I had gone in. I knew that I had returned the same way I went in. As a matter of fact, to this day I still think that I did. I kept walking until I came to a door that led outside. I thought that my chances of figuring out where I was would be much better on the outside than the inside, and so I made my exit. At least walking on the outside of the building would eventually get me on the side where the parking lot was. There were only five sides so I had to get there soon. When I came out I was looking at a helicopter sitting on the launch pad. As it turned out I only had to walk around two sides before I got to the parking lot. I still don’t know how I got there the wrong way but I did. But I was simply thankful to get out of there at this point. Even though we may not like to admit it, we all lose our way at times. We may think we know exactly where we are going but suddenly we realize that we are in the wrong hallway, or going down a road and we have no idea where it is leading us. Life is like that. When our spiritual life takes those turns it’s good to know that turning to Christ is always the right thing to do. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He was the way, the truth, and the life. When we get lost in life He can show us the way. When we suddenly don’t know the truth He is the truth. And when we think we are in the jaws of death, He is the life.
Article Source: http://christian-topics.info
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of "Soul Challenge", "Soul Journey" and "Ordeal." He can be heard on daily Internet Radio on the devotional program "Spirit Bread." Visit www.spiritbread.com to find out more. jousley@spiritbread.com
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