I love the fact that I have a son who served in the military. At times it was scary as I let my mind wander to the what-ifs of his situation. But the pride I felt for his willingness to serve, along with the deepening of my faith, made it all worthwhile.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned during his time in service was humility and the need to ask for help.
During one of his deployments he was a bomb dog handler. That meant he was always on the move—not stationed at one particular base. This severely hampered his ability to communicate with us. I remember one particular week when God rammed home the lesson about calling in reinforcements.
Please Donate to Guideposts Military Outreach
The news on all the networks wasn’t good. They were reporting intense fighting and suicide attacks in the area where I knew he was working. And there was no news from my son. The first night after watching the television reports, I spent an almost sleepless night. I sat in the recliner downstairs—Bible on my lap—begging God to make sure he stayed safe. Instead of feeling peace from my prayers, it seemed they only went as far as the ceiling, shattered and fell into useless shards around me.
The next day found me exhausted and even more fearful.
Finally, I reached out to a friend. Instead of telling me I shouldn’t worry and reminding me that the military always notifies the family first if there’s any kind of an issue with a soldier on deployment, she dropped what she was doing and came to my house. On the way over she must have also called several other friends.
I opened my front door to a group of three women who embraced me and went to their knees with me to do battle for my son and to dispel the fear I was fighting.
One of them said something I’ll never forget. “If calling in reinforcements is good enough for the military, then it’s good enough for you. Don’t forget to ask for help again.”
She was right. I had been in the middle of a war zone—a spiritual one—and I needed to be wise. I never again neglected to call in reinforcements when I needed help.
Whatever battle you’re facing today, I encourage you to pick up the phone or send a text—call in others who will help you win the war.
