Commandant of the Marine Corps

Today I wanted to share a very cool story published in my book "Reflections from the Battlefield" back in 2005. The reason this is such a neat story is because of a recent development at the top of the ranks for Marine Corps. The new Commandant of the Marine Corps was just announced to be General Joseph Dunford. Why is this exciting? Take a look at my post from the 5th of October, 2004: Day 8 “The Fear Of The Lord” “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” —Proverbs 9:10 5 October, 2004 Today I have been meditating on a situation I had the occasion to observe last night in the chow hall during evening dinner. Halfway through my meal as several hundred Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and civilians ate their dinner, I noticed the General came in to eat. As he waited in line to get his food, nearly everyone was somewhat conscious of his presence with us—some going out of their way to acknowledge a “Good evening sir!” while some were going out of their way to avoid him. If you ever pictured in your mind what a typical general looks like, you would picture this man—confident, strong, intelligent—one who commands respect simply by his presence. As I watched the General find his way through the line and get his drink, he scanned the many tables for a place to sit. Those having empty spots at their tables seemed to be nervous thinking that perhaps the General would sit down next to or across from them. I watched as he found a table with several other officers. There was one chair open; he found his spot and sat down. „The Fear Of The Lord‰ The part that I found most interesting about this event is that the person on the other side of where he sat down was a young Lance Corporal who immediately had a look of fear and discomfort on his face as soon as he realized that the General just sat down across from him. He didn’t know whether to stand, sit, or go elsewhere. The General tried to put him at ease and insisted that he stay where he was. I found this moment in time comical, and yet, I felt for this young guy. It was obvious that he did not enjoy his meal and was very uncomfortable. The Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart about this scene. The lesson was one of God speaking to me about having a healthy fear of Him. Did I have it? This Lance Corporal had a very healthy fear of the General; it was clearly all over his face. The General is actually a very personable and nice man as I have on several occasions been with him during briefs and in various dealings within the Command Operations Center. He is a pleasant, even compassionate man, but this Lance Corporal did not know this. The General is concerned and cares about each person under his command and does all in his power to ensure they are safe and taken care of. In fact, there is not much this man would not do for his troops. Do I have a healthy fear of my God? If there is anything in my life that is not right or any sin big or small, do I fear my God? I understand that God loves me and wants the very best for me in all things, but do I fear Him—not a shaking in my skin type of fear, but a true reverence and Holy respect for Who He is as Lord and God. A few years ago there was a t-shirt circulating that had a picture of Jesus on the front of it that said “Jesus is my homeboy.” While I am not opposed to thinking of Our Lord as a friend who sticks closer than a brother, I do have a hard time diminishing His place to a casual “homeboy” position. This seems to truly lack reverence or respect. To add Day 8 146 to my suspicion, those who were wearing this t-shirt were folks who were anything but followers of Christ including several rock stars, actors, and adult models. The Hebrew word used for fear in this example is the word yir’ah which means “awesome or terrifying thing (object causing fear), fear (of God), respect, reverence, piety, or revered.” The presence of the General caused all of these emotions and caused all who were around to check themselves. They automatically wondered if their shirt was un-tucked, or uniform worn properly, or do I have a good haircut? Are we always conscious of the “GENERAL” who is ever with us? This knowledge of the Holy One and realization that He is at our table, in our car, in our home, at our place of work could just give us the incentive we need to stop the next time we think about sinning. The scripture says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. —Proverbs 9:10 Try to remember my friends that the GENERAL is with us always. He knows each of us by name and has our very best interests and welfare in mind. God bless you all! Pastor Ryan Ramadi, Iraq." The General is was writing about back then was a brand new Brigadier General who had just arrived to work with our Division Commander, Major General Natonski. From the very beginning General Dunford was a man who stood out and commanded respect. What an amazing blessing for me 10 years later to see that he will be the next Commandant of the Marine Corps! The lesson from my post back then still applies to us today. A healthy reverence and fear of God is always necessary for us to walk right with God.