Personal Prayer Power Blog

In my last blog I told how SSG Justin Thomas had learned the habit of daily praying as a boy and how it helped his soldiers while serving in Iraq.  After his mother Angela sent me that initial story, I wanted to know more about him.  She wrote:   

 During Justin’s first tour in Iraq (March 2003 through March 2004), he lost almost 90% of his hearing in the right ear and approximately 55% in his left ear. After the first tour, and just a few months prior to the second, he was given the option of a medical discharge or changing his MOS (basically assuming a desk position). Justin had worked very hard training his new men to ensure they were well prepared for the second mission (many new soldiers who had not been there the first time). His statement to the medical board was that his preference would be to take his men to battle because he knew what to expect and they did not. However, during the second tour, he realized how hard it was for him based on his hearing disability. He is leaving his men now to others who have been well trained and have experienced the difficulties these soldiers encounter on a daily basis.  

After reading Angela’s letter I was struck by the fact that

America will be blessed for years to come by people like Justin who because of self-less days of service to our country have developed such a strong value of commitment to serving.  In a generation where we sometimes spoil and shelter our kids (I have a 17 year old, so I’m guilty too!) it’s comforting to know that God is developing a large pool of young men and women who value community and the good of their comrades.  The Bible says that Jesus Himself “took the very nature of a servant.”  (Philippians 2:7)  May others continue to see Jesus because of the way we all serve each other!