When I was really young, my dad was a maintenance guy at a Christian conference center in eastern Pennsylvania, and our family lived on the campus. Groups of people from churches in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania would come and attend retreats at this place. Once the groups departed, somebody had to walk around to all the rooms that had just been vacated, and make sure all the lights were turned off and the heat/air conditioning weren’t blasting in a vacant room. Sometimes that duty fell to my dad, and every once in awhile he’d take me along.
As a part of the maintenance staff, Dad had a key ring that was chock full of keys that opened just about anything and everything on the whole complex. It could be a master key for all the guest rooms in a given building, the key to the room in the gymnasium where they kept all the spare basketballs, the padlock to the room in the basement of the snack shack where they kept a bunch of electronics and motors, or a little key to adjust the thermostat in the meeting rooms. If you needed to open a lock anywhere on the campus, there’s a good chance my dad’s key ring had a solution.
As a kid, it was impossible to keep track of the differences between all the keys. A few of them stood out from the others; maybe some were shinier, bigger, or the head had a distinct shape or color. To me, though, most of them were indistinguishable from one another. If someone plunked me down in front of a random locked door somewhere on the campus with that key ring, it would’ve taken a good deal of time by trial and error for me to open it. Dad knew what each one did, though.
Now imagine that every Christian is a key on God’s giant key ring. There’s a door, or maybe a group of doors, that you have the ability to unlock (or lock). It’s your purpose; it’s what you were made for. You can be jealous of what other keys were built for, but it sure isn’t going to help you fulfill your role any better. You might even try to function in a lock you weren’t designed to operate, but it’s not what you were made for. Some people are dissatisfied or in denial about the lock in which they fit, and they want to choose their own lock.
Sorry Pardner, it doesn’t work that way.
There’s a lock out there for which you are the key, and you might encounter your lock during this unique time in history. The Man holding the key ring wants to use you according to His schedule, but if you’re unwilling or are too focused on a lock for which you’re not the key, you’re missing your calling. My request to you would be: work the lock you’re built for.
Ever notice how you can say “they just don’t make it like they used to” about a lot of things?
For example, my parents have a clothes dryer that’s older than me. It’s complained a bit every now and then, but the thing is built like a tank and is still going after a few fixes. Modern ones seem to break if you look at them the wrong way.
Newer cars seem to fall apart much easier than the ones from, say, 30 years ago. What used to be fixed by a good hit with a ball peen hammer now requires more genteel computer diagnostics to figure anything out before you can start to make repairs.
I don’t know if this is true or not, but I heard that back in the 1940s and 50s, women’s pantyhose was of such high quality that the manufacturers worried they weren’t selling enough to sustain their businesses. Their product was so good that after a woman bought some, she didn’t need any more for a long time.
Enter the idea of planned obsolescence, or the intentional use of lower quality materials and construction to shorten the lifespan of a product in an effort to induce consumers to buy more of them. If it falls apart sooner, you’ll end up buying more units than you otherwise would have.
Here’s an odd thought: what if we are the lower-quality product? In 2017 the average life expectancy for Americans was 78.54 years. By comparison, at that point in Moses’ life, he hadn’t even stood before Pharaoh yet. Abraham didn’t have his first child until he was 86, and then he lived about 90 years beyond that. Noah was over 500 years old when he started building the ark, was 600 when the flood started, and he lived another 350 years beyond that until he was 950 years old! This was before antibiotics, nutritional supplements, and the medical knowledge we enjoy today. My friends, you and I are some of the best examples of planned obsolescence I can think of.
Even great figures of Biblical history are shuffled off the stage of God’s theater. Consider King David. Though flawed, he was one of the most genuine and passionate characters in the whole Bible. He’s the stuff legends are made of; as a youngster he vanquished a giant professional soldier with a sling and a rock, then went on to lead raids of enemy camps with ragtag mercenaries as his companions. Although defined as a man of war, his zeal for the Lord led him to set the stage for Solomon’s construction of the Temple by collecting an unbelievable amount of precious metals and other materials. Jesus came from the line of David, for goodness’ sake! At the end of his life, he was unquestionably recognized as a giant of the Faith. Yet even he was just a man, and was intended to play a small role in God’s overall plan. In spite of all his accomplishments, listen to how David is described in Acts 13:36:
“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”
“Falling asleep” in the Bible is usually a euphemism for dying. That’s not the interesting thing though. There are a few different things we can take from this verse, but the two I want to focus on are 1. that he served God’s purpose “in his own generation,” and 2. when he had fulfilled God’s reason for putting him here on Earth, he moved on into eternity.
To the first point, can you imagine if you lived during a different time period? You could have lived 4,000 years ago, or you could have been placed on hold and not made your debut here on Earth for another 200 years. God put you in the here and now intentionally. You are a part of “your generation” because you are to fulfill God’s purpose within it. I don’t know what that purpose is and you might not either, but the fact that you’re reading this right now, today, means you probably weren’t born before 1940 or so. The “today” you see is not an accident or a random assignment, you belong here.
To the second point, you’re here on Earth to do whatever God put you here to do, and you might not be going anywhere until you do it. At some point after that He’ll escort you from this life, but it could be seconds or decades between when you “complete your mission” and you make your departure. To throw a curveball at the situation: almost none of us know with full certainty what our specific purpose is or when we’ll accomplish it.
Zooming back out to the big picture and our limited time on Earth, it seems we might be a little bit more like an aging toaster than we care to admit. We can tell when things are getting toward the end, but most of us can’t predict when we’re toasting our last bagel.
What are we to do then? I’ll summarize it as best I can:
Love God ferociously and use the talents, resources, and circumstances He’s matched you up with to make a positive difference in people’s lives, all the while giving the glory to Him. You will fall, you will have self doubts, and in many cases you will fail. There may be more bad days than good days, but you have been placed here, at this exact point in history, to make an eternal difference in some way.
There’s a song we’ve all heard a million times; it’s one we usually hear in December, but its message fits with the core of this post. If you were meeting the newborn King of Kings, and you simply couldn’t compete with the expensive gifts that others brought, one of the best things you could do is use the talents He’s given you to make Him smile. Isn’t that what we’re all after? (There’s a fun version of this song below.)
Do your best to serve God’s purpose in your generation.
I don’t know if you or
I are going to make it through this COVID-19 thing. I bet that we will, though.
How do Christians band together in a time of social distancing and self-quarantines? It’s an interesting question, and it’s going to take some innovative thinking. This is where the world needs your help.
Ordinarily the term
“disruptive” has a negative connotation. “He’s disruptive in class,” etc.
That’s not the only meaning of the word, thankfully. “Disruption” can also mean
an upsetting of established norms in such a way that it forces a new norm. It’s
what happened when motorized vehicles replaced horses. Digital cameras replaced
film cameras. Cell phones took over for landlines. Amazon.com came on the scene
and drove a lot of brick and mortar stores out of business. The people behind
these seismic shifts are known as “disruptors.”
Coronavirus has
certainly upended large portions of our lives and caused us to have to readjust
in major ways. Schools and colleges are all of a sudden shutting their doors
for the rest of the year. Churches are canceling in-person services. Bible studies
and prayer meetings can no longer meet in the traditional sense.
People don’t usually
like change. Well, this time around, a virus is forcing change on us all.
Things are changing so fast that we don’t yet have established “norms” in the
wake of this pandemic. For a lot of folks a major burden of our new reality is
the loneliness and lack of in-person human contact.
We were created to be
social beings. It’s simply how God made us. Some people need social interaction
a lot more than others, but we all need it to some degree. When we’re suddenly
unable to socialize in the ways to which we’re accustomed, it’s a major shock
for a lot of folks. As Christians, we’re often reminded in scripture to meet
together regularly, to “do life” together, and build one another up.
How do we do that when
we can’t meet in person? I’ve watched church on my computer for the past two
Sundays. I heard recently about a church that held a service at a drive-in
movie theater. I think that’s a fantastic idea, but those facilities are not as
common as they once were.
This is where you come
in. I’m challenging you to think like a disruptor. Because this is an actual
problem the world currently faces, I’d really like to encourage you to provide
comments here. Here’s your challenge:
How can people still meet together to build one
another up without physically being closer than six feet?
Technology is a mixed
bag. Now we can have meetings without even being near the other attendees. You
have Zoom, Facetime, and Skype, and those are incredibly valuable tools in some
respects. Connecting two users isn’t difficult, but it gets a little more
complicated if you want to have a dozen people in the same meeting. Also, when
you’re stuck in your home, it’s a poor substitute if you’re facing anxiety or
depression (to be sure, it’s better than nothing!). What other ways can we
leverage technology to decrease isolation? Please post your thoughts!
The phone also works.
I’m talking about actual voice calls. Everyone has phones, but nobody calls
anymore. For some people, chatting on the phone versus sending an email or text
goes a long way.
Then you have in-person
meetings. These days I yell to my neighbors from across the street. It doesn’t
quite have to be that far, but if you want to honor the authorities’ guidelines
of having meetings no larger than 10 people, no closer than six feet together,
is there a way to make that happen feasibly? This might be a ridiculous mental
image, but it’s a thought-prompt; is there a way to have a dozen people sit
close together by building little plexiglass “cells” (imagine a scene from a TV
show or movie where someone is visiting someone else in prison)? What if a
dozen cars came together in a circle in an otherwise empty church parking lot
and everyone on the driver’s side of the car rolled down their windows to have
a discussion? (That circle is probably a little too big and everyone would need
hearing aids and megaphones, but can we make the idea work somehow?)
I don’t know what the
answer is, I’m just trying to get the creative juices going. Right now
Christians (and non-Christians, for that matter) need ways of meeting together
and helping each other up after they fall or get knocked down. A lot has
happened, and a lot of change has been forced on us. How can we implement
change on our own to make this situation a little more bearable, especially for
the people that need to be around other people?
“How does my idea
help?” Well, you’re reading this, aren’t you? I don’t normally have a huge readership, but you’re not the only
one that reads this. Your idea, even if it’s incomplete, can spark an idea for
someone else. Let’s say you have no ideas. That’s okay, you can still help
crack the code on this problem. Will you pass this entry on, either by
forwarding it to someone or sharing it on your social media?
You
are a string, but we are a rope. We WILL get through this…maybe
in part by using your ideas.
Last week I posted about how we’re in a war. It can be difficult to see the best way to gird up and fight back, though. How can we be part of God’s plan to overcome the world? Well, I’ll tell you.
When it first came out, I really enjoyed the movie
“The Bourne Identity.” For those of you that haven’t seen it, it’s about an
American that gets recovered while floating unconscious off the coast of France;
he has no memory of who he is, how he ended up in the water, or why he has a pair
of gunshot wounds in his back.
As the story unfolds we try to solve the mystery
alongside him, but what’s very interesting is that even though he can’t
remember who he is, certain skills come very naturally to him. He speaks at
least three different languages, he ties complicated knots without knowing why
he knows how to do it. He excels at hand-to-hand fighting, combat driving, and
use of various weapons. He’s got serious skills, but doesn’t have a clue about
the purpose behind applying them.
Obviously he fits into a larger story, but when we
meet him, he’s just a guy with skills trying to figure out his place in the
world. He’s a highly skilled, but uncertain fellow without a purpose.
Does that sound like you?
We all come pre-loaded with different talents,
skills, and gifts. Some have obvious application (leadership or teaching, for
example), while others seem like little more than amusing party tricks. We can
use them for our own benefit in some cases, but it’s important to remember that
we were given specific skills for a specific reason.
What’s the definition of a gift? An excerpt from the
video below says that it’s “the thing you do the absolute best with the least
amount of effort.” It’s something that comes naturally to you; something you
can do without even trying. It doesn’t have to be something spiritual or
church-y. Running focus groups; skateboarding; comforting hurting people;
competing in triathlons; interior decorating; creating various forms of art;
plumbing. It doesn’t have to make sense to you, but by pursuing your gift or
using your talent right now, God will position you in a place He wants you to
be at just the right time in the future. Many people turn or run from their
gift because it’s something they don’t want to be gifted in, and they pursue
something that “makes more sense” but doesn’t fit who they are. If that’s you, I
urge you to stop chasing something you’re not meant to be and embrace the tools
you already possess. You have them for a reason.
Our mystery American from the movie eventually
discovers what he is, and having that context makes him more comfortable in his
own skin; learning more about the background of his skills gives him purpose
and structure to help him apply his skills. Christians have the same thing. After you’ve accepted Christ as
your Savior, your purpose is no longer to find God, it is to glorify Him. You want
to know how to be a part of that? Do what you were made to do: use your
God-given talents to live your life in honor of Him.
Think of a tool that goes unused: a hammer that
doesn’t strike; scissors that don’t cut. These are tools with unmet potential.
It’s not up to the tools to be used in the right way or envision the details of
what they’re used for; that’s the craftsman’s job. As “Christian tools,” we don’t
need to be overwhelmed by trying to discover what the plan is; we only need to
place ourselves in the hands of the Master and be used the way He sees best.
I’m including a link to a motivational YouTube video. It’s a little lengthy (about half an hour), but since it’s audio only, you don’t need to watch it as it plays. It’s a good listen while folding laundry, working in the garage, cooking dinner, working out, or driving. It can give you a better idea about how to honor God by employing your gift(s).
Know someone that would like to read this? Pass it along to them! New content posted every Thursday.
Ever feel like God’s
placed a burden on your heart, and it involves you doing something that you
have no business doing? (If so, you’re in good company…Abraham, Moses, Noah,
etc…)
“That’s absurd,” you
might say, so you brush off the idea. For some people that’s the end of it.
For others, the idea
lingers. You don’t outright shut the door on the possibility, but you might not
do anything to move toward the goal, either. So it hangs out there for months,
years, or even longer, just waiting until you allow other circumstances to kill
the idea or you begin to take more concrete actions to commit to, or achieve,
the goal.
Taking the perspective
of God’s opponents, what would be your attitude toward the people who seek to
fulfill these aspirations? As long as they’re not making any meaningful
efforts, you probably wouldn’t care; but what about when they start committing
to achieving those goals? That’s when you’d want their heads filled with
thoughts like “Who in the world do you think you are? You have no business
doing something like that! You’re not qualified in any way to even attempt to do something like that!”
You might feel
ill-equipped to perform God’s tasks. Good. You’re supposed to. My friends, that
is exactly what makes the idea so
full of potential as far as bringing God glory. By way of example, what
glorifies Him more…when a life-long highly skilled warrior defeats a giant
soldier, or when a shepherd boy defeats a giant soldier?
My schooling is in the
sciences and leadership. I took a basic writing course in college that was
mandatory for all students, and a few other workshops about writing for the
workplace. I barely know how to look someone up on social media. I’m no more qualified
to write a blog about God working through imperfect people than I am to host a
televised game show. When God placed the burden on my heart to start a blog
that spurs Christians on, you can imagine my skepticism.
Here’s the thing, though: obedience is our
responsibility, and outcome is God’s responsibility. That’s very important, so I’ll say it again…obedience
is our responsibility, and outcome is God’s responsibility. If you’ve been
burdened with a task that you know is Heaven-sent, don’t fixate on all the
things that are going to need to be overcome. That’s God’s territory and is
beyond what you can see. The part you should focus on is taking action, even if
it means taking the first/next step without knowing the destination or what the
end goal looks like.
It’s now been a year since I started blogging on this site. This is my 84th post. Some posts touch on times of high adventure while others are more mundane and relate to an everyday kind of experience. With all of them I’ve tried to articulate some sort of life lesson that can be used to encourage you to allow God to use you for His glory more than He’s using you right now. I’d urge you to read the Purpose page that describes how the blog got its name. It’s all meant to help you take action when you recognize “you know, I think I know what he’s talking about. I feel like God’s nudging me to…” In the absence of a nudge, I want to encourage you to use whatever combination of spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has given to you. These gifts are to be employed for the very simple reason that God is glorified when His creation…you…does what it was made to do.
I want to help you live the life you were meant to live.
In closing, I want to
explain a little bit about how this website works. If there’s a particular
topic on this blog you’d like to read about, there are ways to sort through
previous posts. Almost every post belongs to two categories. One category
identifies the activity (whitewater, ropes, SERE Indoc, 2002 Winter Olympics,
etc.), and is meant to set the stage for the point I want to pass along. The
other category is the “moral of the story” (God can use you more than you think
He can, Hang in there, Don’t let fear hold you back, Growing in Trust and
Capability, etc.), and is the real purpose behind each story. You can see a
list of categories at https://daregreatlynow.com/home/.
Another method of
perusing the site’s posts is by using the same link to look through different
tags. Tags aren’t quite as organized as the categories, but they might help you
find what you’re looking for. They’re available at the same link.
I’d also love to hear
feedback from you. What do you like or not like about DareGreatlyNow? Do you
have any ideas that would make these posts easier to share or be available to
more people? Finally, do you feel like you’ve been given a burden that you know
you’re supposed to pursue, but you’re having a hard time coming to terms with
it? Sometimes it helps just to tell someone, even if you do it anonymously. Feel
free to comment on the page itself or email me at tim@daregreatlynow.com.
You were meant for great things, but you have to remember that you’re only a vessel. Let God be in charge. Be obedient to what He’s called you to do, and He’ll take care of the rest.
The church we attend is
fortunate to have a large amount of musical talent among its congregation.
Each week the church
holds multiple services, so it’s asking a lot for the same people to be on the
worship team week after week for all the services. Volunteers from the
congregation stepped up, and as a result the worship team has a good amount of
“bench strength.”
When the team is
leading worship, there are usually a lot of people on stage. Normally there are
two keyboardists, three or four guitarists, a drummer, and some singers.
There’s a lot happening during a given song.
I’m not sure why, it’s
probably the amount of movement, but my eye is always drawn to the drummer. Like
any other role on the worship team, there are different types of people that
play the drums. All of them can keep the beat just fine, but while some of them
look calm and in complete control of the rhythm, others play with intensity and
look like they’re out of breath and are right on the edge of losing musical
control.
I always enjoy when one
young man in particular takes his turn at the drums. Not only are his arms
flailing around in perfect timing, smashing his instruments, but his head also
bobs to help keep the beat. At the same time his facial expression conveys his
sheer passion for the task.
The drums and cymbals
our church uses are electronic; I’m guessing that someone made the decision to
use electronic cymbals so that metal ones don’t overpower the rest of the
worship team. They make less noise when the drumsticks physically strike them,
and the sound system adds it in to the overall mix coming out of the speakers.
When I’m sitting in the congregation and this guy is drumming, I can clearly
hear the sound of his drumsticks slapping the cymbals no matter where I sit in
the room.
This is someone that’s doing what he was created to do,
and it’s a joy to behold.
We’re all created with
gifts. I heard someone describe a gift as “the thing you do the best with the
least amount of effort.” You might make a living from it, but not necessarily.
For some people, standing up in front of a group and teaching is something that
comes naturally, but for others that idea is terrifying. Some people are
amazing hosts/hostesses. It’s possible to be an incredibly empathetic
conversationalist and have an occupation where that skill isn’t used at all.
Your gift might be
something you think is absurd, or even worthless. It doesn’t matter how you
feel about it, but I’ll tell you that you’ll feel satisfaction in using your
gifts to glorify God. If you make amazing fried chicken…fry it while giving God
glory. If mowing grass in cool patterns comes naturally to you, mow it like
there’s no tomorrow. If you write computer code or create algorithms
effortlessly, write and create with passion! There’s no telling how your gift
will combine with others that are using their gifts, and what that will result
in.
What were you created
to do? The more important question is: are you doing it? (What good is a drum
that can’t be played, or a Lamborghini that sits in the garage?)
The drummer in our
church isn’t changing lives or saving souls by playing the drums. I can only
imagine though, that if it’s fun for me, an ordinary guy, to watch him play, our
Heavenly Father is smiling even bigger to see one of his beloved children employ
the talents entrusted to him to pursue his calling. Wouldn’t you like to bring
the same kind of smile to God’s face?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve thought that the Olympics were fun to watch. The idea that you’re seeing someone who, at least for the moment, is the best in the world in their sport…the gold medals, the national anthems and flags being raised…it was so straightforward and patriotic. At the beginning of my Junior year of college, the Summer Olympics took place in Sydney, Australia. Because it was a southern hemisphere location, the games started later than normal, and I was able to watch it with friends at school rather than at home during the summer break.
You can only watch so many Olympic events in a row before it gets old, but I kept tabs on what was going on all throughout the games. For the big stuff, I’d be watching with other people in a lounge somewhere.
A buddy of mine, Jeremy, was also keeping up with the games that year. One time as we were watching we got to talking, and I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but one of us said to the other something like “You know, the next Winter Olympics are gonna be in Utah when we’re seniors.”
That’s pretty much all it took. We were in. Somehow, we were going to figure out how to go to Utah to see some of the 2002 Winter Olympics in person.
We were students at a college in western New York state. Utah wasn’t close, but at least it was in our country. We didn’t know how we’d get there, how we’d get back, where we’d sleep, or how close the venues were to each other. All we knew was that we had a big and bold idea, and we were willing to make some sacrifices in order to make it happen. We had about 17 months to figure it out.
One thing that’s neat about this life is that God has given us free will. We can choose to follow Him or not. Beyond that, He gives us the ability to choose how we would like to glorify Him. If you’re a Christian, you may notice that some causes tug at your heart strings a little more than others. It may be a heart for helping the homeless, orphans, alcoholics, those in prison, someone that doesn’t have clean water or someone you personally know that can’t afford enough food or medicine. Your combination of talents, interests, and spiritual gifts does not often match up with other people’s, and that’s by design. You are uniquely equipped and motivated to tackle challenges that are tailor-made for you. If you feel as though you’re compelled to plug into a certain area, most likely it’s because you are.
At some point in your Christian walk, you probably had an idea about some challenge you were supposed to take on. Maybe it was big and bold, maybe it was something a little easier to sink your teeth into. Like our Olympic idea, sometimes you just need to let the idea bake for awhile before moving out. Don’t let it die in the “still baking” phase, though.
Jeremy and I did go to the Olympics as spectators. I’ll give plenty more information in later posts, but I’ll tell you this much: it’s been almost 17 years since we took that trip…there are things I was willing to do in 2002 that I’m probably not willing to do now. That’s not necessarily good or bad, it’s just different. That helps illustrate another point: no matter how old you are, you’ve got an advantage when presented with a big and bold challenge. When you’re young, you probably have limited financial means, but your enthusiasm can carry you through many discomforts that you may not be willing to endure when you get older. A couple of decades later, you likely have a more solid financial footing and the benefit of some life experience, but there are many priorities competing for your time and you have to be dedicated to a prayer life and devotional life or they’re simply not going to happen. Further along, in the early years of your retirement you may or may not be as busy as during your working years, but you probably have the benefit of having less structure in the way you spend your time. Later in life you may not be able to get out and perform physical tasks as easily, but your prayer life and mentorship roles have the potential to be the best they’ve ever been.
The point I’m making is that when God plants an idea in your head that seems like it might be a little too big for you to handle, focus on the ways He’s equipped you to succeed. Instead of turning it down, let it stew for a little bit. It’s supposed to be intimidating. If He gave you an easy assignment, how would He get any glory out of it? On the other hand, if someone is woefully unprepared to take on a mammoth undertaking, and a million things have to line up in order for it to happen, it becomes obvious that the project’s eventual success didn’t come because of the person; God gets the glory in those cases. If it’s God handing you the next assignment, be willing to bite off more than you can chew.
This post is a follow-on to my previous one, which had to do with people that are barely hanging in there, just trying to survive. (https://daregreatlynow.com/2018/11/05/helps-coming/)
Disclaimer: I have to warn you that I like military movies. Sometimes when I’m watching them, I get pretty excited about them and go back and watch the action-packed scenes a few times because I want to get a good handle on what I’m seeing. By their nature, though, they’re violent and often come with some salty language. I’m including a couple of clips below to go along with the post; if you’re not up for all the craziness right now, you’ll probably want the first clip. If my narrative below is too confusing and you just want to see for yourself (and can live with the cursing and shooting), go with clip number two.
One of my all-time favorite “spiritual metaphor” movie scenes comes from a movie called “Act of Valor.” It didn’t set any box office records or anything, but one of the distinguishing characteristics of the film was that the main characters in the movie were portrayed by active duty Navy SEALs. The plot was fictional, but it was based on real-world missions SEALs have conducted.
I know it wasn’t a real mission, but it was still fun to see SEALs doing some of the stuff they do. During the movie a team of SEALs had been sent into some foreign country to rescue an abducted CIA operative. The SEALs got solid information about her location, and they were tasked with recovering her. Her captors were torturing and interrogating her to find out how much the CIA knew about them. Heavily injured, her body wasn’t able to endure much more, and her health was failing quickly.
We’ve all seen movies or heard stories about Navy SEALs, and sometimes the line between what they can and can’t do gets a little blurred. They’re phenomenal at short-duration engagements, but since they usually work in smaller teams, a sizable enemy force will have a good chance of overwhelming them over time. In the movie, the SEALs rescued the CIA operative from immediate danger, but a sizable enemy force was bearing down on them. The rescue team stole a pickup truck and loaded everyone in, taking off just as a number of pursuit vehicles arrived to chase them during a high-speed shootout.
The SEALs’ planned method of extraction was to link up with a SWCC team…essentially a heavily-armed armored speedboat…whose callsign was Whiplash. But they began the assault earlier than planned (before the boats were in position), they hadn’t counted on this level of opposition on the way out, and there was too much happening for the original plan to function as intended.
The SEALs’ driver took off down the road without having an exact idea where he was going. The guy in the passenger seat was trying to navigate and establish radio contact with the team leader, who, along with another SEAL, was running to meet up with the rest. In addition to the barely conscious CIA operative, a member of the team had been shot in the head during the raid and was alive, but unconscious. Another team member was trying to keep him alive and revive him. All the while there’s a guy or two in the bed of the pickup trying to shield the CIA operative and return enough fire to keep the bad guys from getting too close.
The situation just kept getting worse. First they blew through their primary rendezvous point, and the enemy was too close for them to safely pull over at the backup rendezvous point, so they sped past it, too. They even pulled out a surprise or two to give themselves a better chance, but it just wasn’t enough. With no choice, they sped toward their last option, but by this time they had still created almost no separation from an aggressive enemy.
They ran out of road and at high speed splashed the truck directly into a river. They had gone as far as they could and had held the enemy at bay as long as possible, but despite keeping cool heads and performing at a high level, they could not be expected to do any more without some outside intervention. They had accomplished bold, even extraordinary things, but now it looked hopeless; the team had no reasonable hope of making a coordinated last stand against such devastating odds.
Just as the enemy trucks slid to a stop and armed men took aim, Whiplash came roaring around the river bend with guns blazing. Enemy shooters had no choice but to dive for cover as their vehicles got shot full of holes. After pinning down the enemy, sailors plucked the Americans out of the water and into the safety of the boats. As the scene closed, the vessel carrying the rescued team and CIA operative sped off down the river, having accomplished their objective.
(This is the shorter, less crazy version, but might still have a choice word or two.)
(The clip below includes the full pursuit, and is a little rougher on the eyes and ears.)
Have you ever had a day that felt like that? Things started out according to plan, but once one thing went wrong, it got bad in a hurry. Through grit and perseverance you might have been able to keep things from completely falling to pieces for awhile, but eventually the situation caught up with you and degraded to the point where it just wasn’t going to get better without some outside help.
Maybe you were on the other side of things. Maybe you were Whiplash, an answer to somebody’s prayer. Because of you and the help you were able to provide, you helped somebody stave off complete disaster.
Even better, maybe you have the opportunity to be Whiplash to someone right now. You might know somebody that’s already crashed into the water and is looking down the river in desperate expectation, but they can’t see anyone yet. They may not even know what they’re looking for, but they’re looking for you.
It’s time to armor up. Don the armor of God and grab that sword of truth. You’ve got allies (or potential allies) pinned down deep behind enemy lines, and only bold action will pull them out. If you’ve got the opportunity and can take a few hits for the sake of pulling the heat off someone else, step into the line of fire. Be Whiplash to someone. They’re desperate for you to arrive in time, and you’re the best chance they’ve got.
