HERcules

Chapter One: The Battle Before Basics
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”
—Romans 5:3 (NLT)
Three months.
That’s all that stood between me and my goal. In exactly one month, the board would meet to discuss the myriad of candidates and choose the most qualified. In three months, it was predicted, the board would inform a select few of their opportunities to serve as officers in the United States Air Force.
For those who are not familiar with the officer candidate process, let me be the first to tell you it is strenuous, long-winded, and tedious. While there is a great deal of paperwork involved, that is not even the main factor that deters many people from pursuing this honorable path.
It’s the time that is required.
You see, it is not a one-and-done kind of deal. If you want to be an officer in the American military, you had better be prepared to hurry up and wait. There are short deadlines for stuff to be turned in, interviews to attend, and letters of recommendation to secure. All of this is rushed in preparation for the board meeting that, more often than not, is months in the future. Without a doubt the process was an investment that demanded patience and perseverance.
I was already eight months into seeking a career in the military. Having been an avid fan of the popular television shows NCIS and Law and Order: SVU for years, I knew that I wanted to work in Special Investigations. I felt God leading me to pursue a career in this difficult field with the intentions and hopes of later furthering my education and becoming a JAG officer, or in civilian terms, a military lawyer.
The danger I might face and the diligence that would be required did not cause me to back off or second-guess my top prospective career choice. Instead, it challenged me to push even harder in the gym and further my police knowledge. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good challenge.
After waiting and waiting in anticipation of the board finally meeting in April, I could hardly believe my eyes when an unfavorably named memo appeared in my email inbox. It was from my recruiter and contained a formal letter of the board’s cancellation. And this was not just for the current fiscal year; it actually extended into the following year. The next potential board meeting would be at least two years away. Needless to say, the air force was no longer a viable career option for me.
This was a blow I had not expected in the slightest. I have sought after the Lord and learned His voice. Like a sheep, I follow Him, and the voice of a stranger I do not know (John 10:4–5). God was telling me to pursue the air force.
I had taken private fitness training classes to learn how to increase my strength and stamina. I religiously went to the gym at least three times a week, running on the days I did not lift weights. I had purchased books on police information, the GRE (an exam mandatory for certain master’s degrees), and the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test.
This was not a call I took lightly, and I was intentional about preparing for that which I felt the Lord calling me to do. Even on the days where the pursuit seemed overly complicated or difficult, I would hear God encouraging me to press on, to go forward, to proceed in the way I was going.
So when I received the email telling me that everything I had been working toward was now not even a viable option, shock and numbness begin to settle into my spirit. While I can’t say that I felt fear, I can say with full assurance that my immediate response was frustration. All I could say was, “What now, God? What now?”
I had learned in my years of following the Lord that denying your anger or confusion never allowed for any growth. A change in circumstances did not alter my love toward God, and I still wanted to hear from Him more than anything and anyone.
To provide a little background on the week leading up to this news, I had just quit my job. God had been impressing on my spirit little by little to start taking things home and to pack up my office. At first I assumed He wanted me to be ready to leave in the next couple of months. Then one morning I walked in and experienced the overwhelming sense that the Lord wanted me to turn in my two weeks’ notice that very same day. I kept providing excuses for why I couldn’t do it that day. It would be rude to type the two weeks on the work computer. How slack is that? I can talk it over with my parents and turn it in tomorrow. I probably won’t have time to do it today. Let’s hold off one more day.
When I say the Lord got a hold of my heart, He would not let me go until I had resolved to have the letter typed, signed, and sealed in an envelope. Of course when I returned to the office after lunch, I told myself it could wait until the end of the day. I am not the kind of person who likes awkward situations, and I did not want to make my boss uncomfortable either.
God, however, had a different plan. He knew that if I waited, it might not get done. He was patient with me, but He was also very persistent. He knew it was best for me to do it that day, and sure enough, He brought my boss into my office and provided the perfect opportunity for me to share the news with him.
During this time the Lord was also dealing with me on finding a small group to be a part of. Through a common friend, I was introduced to a woman at a church in a neighboring city who hosted a weekly Bible study at her house. I went to the gathering, and I could see myself growing with these people. But that wasn’t all God was encouraging me to do. He also pressed on my heart to begin attending a new church by myself.
This direction was absolutely necessary, but I could sense my flesh pushing back a bit. After all, I had been attending this church with my family for over five years, and I loved the people there. But I could sense the shift in seasons. God wanted me to step out and begin my own life and my own ministry. For a year before I had lived in England and attended a church where I thrived through serving and investing in community. I missed that terribly. God knew that, and He was now spurring me to take this first step.
Although I would end up moving to an entirely new city and attending a different church, these moments and movements were pivotal for my faith walk. I was learning once more to be dependent only on God and not on my circumstances or surroundings.
Needless to say, there was a whole bunch of transition going on. That was when God revealed to me that He was the only stable rock on which I could stand. He made that so clear, and it is a lesson I won’t soon forget. When the world around me was changing so quickly, I knew that I could rest in Him and trust His perfect plan. His peace that surpasses all understanding flooded my soul with a faith transcendent over my circumstances.
I had not left for the military and never would, but God had still sent me to basics. Today’s Military posted an article that dove into the purpose for and intent behind the basic training required for entrance to the armed forces: