The last post

In army jargon...the last post, the last stand, the last hurrah, the last samurai...all these expressions seem to evoke a sense of patriotism, a sense of glory, of honour, heroism, a sense of duty.

Well...Duty calls.

In a few hours, i leave the comfort of my bed, put on army green once again, strap on my boots & bag, and carry the weight & responsibilities of a rank. Sometimes it feels more like a target board tho! =P

In sacrifice to the nation, the goatee has to go...so now...rubbing my freshly-shaven chin, i wonder...how many other things will i willingly & lovingly (now...you dun often hear that in the army...Love...) give up, for the people, for everything to work efficiently, and most of all...because the Lord compels and i desire to honour him. Selflessness here is a rare commodity...you do not see it as often as you see the heroics done on TV and in the cinema.

Going back is like entering foreign ground, while i relish the friendships and the opportunity to sow the seeds of truth where i am, the reality almost always hits home immediately. It starts with the greetings...alot of times, in colourful language (amazing how people learn vulgar new adjectives in certain settings!), then there's the posturing & jostling for the best (personal) benefits, and when the mental & physical stress kicks in, you see a different side to everyone. Even the skies are ominously red, thundering and pouring outside my window at this very moment, wonder if it's shedding tears for me...hah! =P

Well...I believe that i've been fighting a battle all this while, the spiritual battle, the one that occurs in the heavenlies...wearing the uniform, just reminds me more of it. Remembering and knowing that i'll be thrown into a "foreign" environment just wakes me to the "reality" that so many struggle with when they are apart from the Lord.

I can easily look on with cynical eyes, go emo, turn morose & melancholic...
but i find that i can't stay that way for long as i got reminded earlier...

"Why are you sian, yet laughing so much?"

HAHAHAHAH! Thanks for pointing it out...yeah...i think i'm looking much more at God & seeing the opportunities to love, and to be a blessing more than the problems & all (even tho i know those are pretty real too) It's optimism mixed in with a dose of reality. In my opinion, the best way to see a situation. Sizing it up, yet deciding not to let it hamper or paralyse.

"Counting the cost, yet living out the cause."

I go in awhile...please say a prayer for me each time you remm...

That i may be all the Lord wants me to be in the army. Serving, Loving, Leading as He would...speaking the truth, and being a testimony constantly, especially in the most stressful moments when everyone else is cracking & breaking down. May His Light & His Life in me shine most brightly then. In Your name only Lord Jesus, Amen.