My husband, Neil, and I are friends with a recently retired helicopter-flying Marine officer and his family. What a dear Christian family they are. He is the son of a longtime, and now gone to heaven, friend.
The family consists of a mix of natural and adopted children numbering around 13 to date. They bring joy wherever they go with laughter, smiles and, of course, being the face of Jesus to others.
When Tim retired from the military, he chose to start working for Officers’ Christian Fellowship, an organization whose official mission is “to engage military leaders in Biblical fellowship and growth to equip them for Christ-like service at the intersection of faith, family, and profession.”
Tim attended this fellowship during his active-duty years and knew it was a mission with a heart for military officers and their families. What a wonderful second career for a man who loves the Lord and his fellow officers and wants the best for them. Because Tim’s family is still young, they can join him in this faithful endeavor.
What brought Tim to mind was most likely the recent Memorial Day events and veterans’ stories surrounding the holiday. One of the stories I read was about the Tun Tavern Fellowship. This group of Christian missionaries focuses on all ranks of the Marines and Navy to spread the word of Jesus’ saving grace.
There are other Christian missions with distinct teams that work with military members and their families, such as The Navigators and The Salvation Army.
Everyone, including our military personnel and veterans, as well as you and I, need the saving grace of Jesus. These organizations are helping our country’s fighting men and women to be prepared in their souls, as well as prepared physically, for the fight that may be just around the next corner.
A few years ago, I spent time reading many of the biographies of the military officers who survived internment in the Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) in Vietnam. These biographies told how very important their Christian faith was to these imprisoned men.
Because they were in solitary confinement, they developed sound codes to be able to communicate with each other – many times seeking words to Christian songs and prayers they remembered piecemeal from their youth. They did this in order to strengthen their resolve, with God’s help, through the horrors of the abuse that was inflicted upon them by the enemy.
Strong faith is needed to get through a normal life and certainly more so as a prisoner of war.
One of the speakers at the Memorial Day service in Ocean City shared his concern about the high veteran suicide rate. The increase indicates that we could use even more Christian missionaries to go and tell the story of Jesus to our veterans. If there is one thing faith in Jesus can do, it is to give hope to those who need it, whether that need be spiritual, mental, or physical.
The church is with us not only to spread the word of Jesus, but to care for His people. Personally, I can tell you the fellowship of the church is absolutely the strongest bond we will have with others of like faith this side of heaven. Jesus’ followers tend to their fellow sheep extremely well.
I was particularly pleased to see the various mission organizations highlighted as they focus on our military and veterans not only because I love Jesus and want everyone to know Him, but also because Neil and I are both veterans and know firsthand that Jesus and the work of His saints have pulled us through tough times.
God has blessed this country of ours tremendously with those who want to share Jesus’ saving grace with others, including our military. “For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”
Many Christian ministries and organizations go to disaster areas to feed, clothe, and assist in any way possible. They bring clean drinking water to places that have none.
They are doctors and nurses teaching and performing acts of kindness in Jesus’ name. They are instructing poor women how to create small businesses to help with family incomes.
Again and again, where people may see evil, unfairness, and destruction, God’s people are congregating to bring the light of Jesus into the darkness and to help those in need.
The next time you see Christian missionaries helping others, it is nice to remember that some of those missionary helpers are veterans helping veterans as well.
Every Christian who serves others does so because Jesus told us to.
ED. NOTE: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.
