The Ultimate Commitment

Today's Readings

So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart..." - Daniel 3: 40-41

I have been on a quick trip to visit with a great group of young leaders serving the Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools (XBSS). These students from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Kentucky have all committed their young hearts to witnessing the Good News, guiding their peers in ways of faith, study, athletics, and various other areas that will ultimately call on entire student bodies to do the same.

Tonight, as I traveled out of Atlanta, the last leg of my trip home, I witnessed another level of commitment that too many of our nation's young men and women have to make... The body of a fallen soldier in a flag-draped casket was respectfully loaded into the cargo bay of the plane with full military honors. The passengers all witnessed this amazing moment of honor and sorrow, as we all gazed out of the right side of the plane. The picture above was taken with my cell, so its a tad dark. When we arrived home, his family and an honor guard were on the tarmac to greet the plane and reverently move the fallen soldier closer to his final resting place. Again, the plane sat silently, and watched this soldier's last journey come to an end.

So the nature of "commitment" can be measured in various ways, and my time with the students of XBSS rejuvenated my spirit and my hope for a generation who will make things better for our community. But witnessing this solemn moment, and the example of the ultimate commitment and sacrifice on the part of this soldier added something poignant to this trip.

My dear friends of the GregBlog... We share these things with one another, so we can know just how amazing God's people can be. The young leaders of XBSS, and all around our church, country, and world seize opportunities to lead by example all of the time. We depend on these witnesses of God's grace! But with this post, I also want offer my condolences to the family of this soldier who I only know from witnessing his last great statement to his home... He made a commitment to serve our country, and he stuck by that promise to the very end!

I will forever remember this night, and these witnesses of God's amazing presence in our world!