Army of God: "Wilco"

For any of my new readers, I need to bring something to your attention that is vital not only for this post specifically, but for this week and my entire blogging library. 

I am a nerd. 

Many of you are probably nodding your heads thinking "Uh, duh Sharita." I personally like to think of myself of somewhat of a sophisticated nerd, but I really do get quite a thrill out of lists, journals, weird numbers concepts/facts. And, as you may have noticed, I love learning new words. Hence the weeklong discussion we have had about Army of God vocab. 

(Random vocabulary note: Did you know that splendiferous and fantastical are both real words? As in, they are found in the dictionary AND Microsoft word doesn't do that squiggly red "you-spelled-this-wrong underline?) 

See. Told you I was something of a geek. 

Back to the topic at hand: it is the culmination of our weeklong study of Army of God words. Today's word is an abbreviation: 

"Wilco: The abbreviated version of will comply, often used in quick conversations or text messaging." 

Easy right? Will comply. Like will do. Roger. Loud and clear. I get it. Gonna make it happen. 

How often do we respond to God with wilco? I know as for me, I sometimes pretend like I didn't hear what He told me, instead of being immediately obedient to him and surrendering to make it happen. 

Iron Mike @ Fort Benning, Georgia.
"I am the Infantry, Follow Me!"
Shouldn't we do the same if not more for Jesus?
(Photo taken by John D. Helms) 

As I was thinking about this week's lesson via this particular blog topic, I couldn't help but think of the main themes: Voluntold and America dealt with obedience, Stuff with Things and Frago focused on trust. Today, when it comes to Wilco, it's about submitting to the awesomeness of God and agreeing to comply with whatever he has called us to. 

This thought continued my thinking process. (I know, scary.) Obedience, Trust, Surrender. Huh. I wonder if there is an army acronym for OTS? Knowing our beloved military, I was confident that at least one existed... 

When I looked it up online, I was right. At least one did exist. I actually found about 237 acronyms that OTS could stand for on one website. (237? Really military? Really?) 

But the coolest part? Out of that entire list, a quick scan had my eyes land on OTS that meant "One-Time Source." Coincidence? I think not. God IS our one time source. All we need, we get from HIM. Wow. 

Voluntold, America, Stuff with Things, Frago, and Wilco.

Obedience, Trust. Surrender.

OTS.

One. Time. Source.

So this week, as those new vocab words swirl in your brain, I leave you with this newly invented Army of God prayer.

"Dear Heavenly Commander: I pray that I can be obedient to all of the stuff with things you have voluntold and called me to. Help me to trust you when my plans become frago. When I want to run, instead let me embrace you, rejoice and yell America! God, please change my heart so that my first instinct every day is surrender to you, take up my cross and follow you. When things get tough, allow me to press forward, clinging to your love and softly whispering "Wilco, sir." Father I salute you for the love you have given me when I least deserve it.  Lord, you ARE my OTS, my one time source. Then. Now. Forever. In your precious name, AMEN." 

I'm in the Lord's Army,
SGK

"Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered, and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him..." Hebrews 5:8-9


Leave a comment here.

Army of God: "Frago"

"Yeah that sounds great... Do you still want to meet at the mall? <ssrrrrtttpppp> Wait are you there? <psssrrrrrrrrkkkkktttt> Can you hear me? <ttttsssssssffffff> Hello? Hello? HELLO? <beep beep... call dropped.>

Sigh. Just typing that one-sided conversation above raises my blood pressure a bit. But we've all be there-- we have plans, think we know what is going on, then beep, beep, call dropped. Were our plans staying the same or was our compadre on the other end about to share a new idea with us? OR someone calls very last minute and either cancels or completely changes the game plan. Frustrating, huh?

So today's dropped cell phone conversation and change of plans is brought to you by the word "Frago." It means "Fragmentation order" which essentially deals with a last minute change of plans (aka breaking original orders)  especially when carrying out an operation or previously determined path. (If you get nothing else from today's post, you at least have a cool word to say... seriously, pronounce it outloud... FRAGO. Funny.

As a drill sergeant's wife, we have a lot of "frago" in our house sometimes. In the army... and with God.

Frago follows right along with the other discussions we have been having this week about obedience and trust. Now we add change into the mix. If you would have asked me about my original plans five years ago, I can guarantee it wouldn't have sounded like this:

"In five years, I will be married to a soldier and working in ministry. We will live in Georgia and have a puppy. Oh, and I will have gotten my masters and my husband will be an Iowa boy who currently serves as a drill sergeant and plans to make a career out of the military."

Uh, yeah, no.

Don't get me wrong, I am beyond thankful for the path God has put me on to get me here. As much as a joke about the military, I really do love our life. We are blessed. But honestly,  I feel like our lives are one big "Frago."

Is your life a little frago too? I am going to guess the answer is probably yes. You had ideas of where you wanted to go and how you wanted to get there, then our Upstairs Commander put the whoa on that and took you in a completely different direction. Change of plans. See? Frago!

Maybe you are in the middle of a big Frago or your life (like mine) is a bunch of little fragos all jumbled together... you might be wondering what in the name of chocolate cake God is going to do with you. Maybe your communication with Him is a little fuzzy and you can't quite make that "cell phone" connection clear.

Don't fret, dear reader. Every change you experience in life is all part of "THE PLAN." No, we don't have the notes or the completely order of operations in front of us. But we do have an awesome God that we can trust with all our heart.

So don't fear frago... feed off it!

Changed by God,

SGK

"He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."-- Daniel 2:21


Tell me about your experience with Godly "frago" and leave a comment here.

Army Of God: "Stuff With Things"

I know, I know... when a person says they have a "favorite" something that usually indicates that they  have only one. HOWEVER... I am writing this blog, so I make the rules. And today is another one of my favorite vocabulary phrases used by the Army (specifically, my husband.) 

Stuff with things: The abstract phrase used to describe a plan of action or agenda that is yet undetermined or completely unknown to any or all parties involved. 

In civilian terms, "stuff with things" is a great way to say "We are going to do something that will take up time and may or may not be productive, but honestly, I have no idea what that is going to be." 

When I hear this come from my beloved it is usually in one of two ways: either he really has no idea what is going to happen that day (with the Army, that can happen at any given moment) or when he is attempting to recount his day and it happened to be exceptionally chaotic. 

"What did you do today sweetheart?" 

"Um, Sharita... I really don't even know. We worked for 20 hours. I think we did stuff with things." 

<Note: This phrase can also be used in a sarcastic manner... as can most unofficial army terms. Didn't know if you were catching onto that pattern with "voluntold," "America" and now "Stuff with things."> 

As with most of the army terms I have been introduced to and really like, this one has also made it into my everyday vocabulary. (I actually said it while leading a task force meeting at church yesterday. Sigh. It's ingrained.) 

While voluntold and America primarily focus on being obedient to God, "Stuff with Things" also deals with obedience, but even more so with TRUST. God, being the all-knowing, all-loving guy that He is, very rarely (if ever) reveals the entire picture to us. He feeds us bits and pieces along the way. Our future might look very uncertain and we live our days being obedient to Him, doing "stuff with things" but not completely sure where we are going with it until He shows us. 

That's the key. He doesn't call us to just be busy, rushing around and filling our time with stuff. However, when we enter into His presence and obey without seeing His bigger picture (which only He has access to) it can feel like we are running around, almost chaotically, doing "stuff with things." But take heart. He wouldn't ask you to do something without purpose. Listen for His voice so you can do HIS stuff for HIS things and HIS purpose. It's all part of HIS plan. So trust that He's got it under control. 

Now if you will excuse me... I gotta go do some "stuff with things." 

Trusting Him and Living with Purpose, 

SGK 

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”-- Psalm 31:14

Army of God: "Voluntold"

When one gets involved with the army, there is A LOT to learn. 

It doesn't matter if you are actually joining the ranks as enlisted or officer, OR you have been called to marry a beloved soldier... There is going to be a learning curve involved. 

Early on in our marriage (ok, let's be honest, it's still pretty early... we are only 14 months in) I had to stop Brandon every other sentence and have him translate the gobbledygook that he was trying to communicate.  Even now, I have to put the words through a filter in my army wife head to understand them. 

On a typical night, I hear something like this come from my beloved: 

"Hey Sharita, the CO and the BC were talking today, and since we are done with ARM and getting ready to do FTX, I got voluntold to do CQ on 12 December."

<insert wife brain scrambling sound here> 

Translation: 

"Hey Sharita, the commander and the battalion commander were talking today, and since we are done with advance rifle marksmanship and getting ready to do a field training exercise, I am working overnight charge of quarters duty on Monday, December 12." 

Um, ok. Roger?!?

This week, I am going to share with you some of my favorite "army" words/phrases... And since this is a Christian blog (not sure if you picked up on that yet ;-) and we are all fighting in the "Army of God," I will of course be drawing some kind of parallel to how God lovingly directs our paths. 

So are you ready? I hope you are standing at parade rest and anticipating todays "Word of the day." 

This word of the day is BY FAR my favorite word taught to me by the army. I use it in my civilian life... and it is awesome... Ready? 

"Voluntold: the inadvertent nomination of an individual to comply with orders or plans through being commanded to do so... or else." 

A lot of the less then awesome duties that Brandon gets to do (and I get to deal with) in the army are typcially voluntold to him. This happens when someone says "Who wants to pull CQ tomorrow?" When everyone remains silent and avoids eye contact because they were hoping to sleep a full night and eat food other than from the DFAC (Dining facilities) and the answer comes from the same person who asked the question: "Knobby... you pull CQ." And Brandon says OK (most of the time, because that is the kind of awesome soldier he is.)

God does the same thing-- sometimes he asks a question or gives a subtle command that He of course already knows what will be the result. Maybe He says "Sharita, do you want to be called to ministry?" (Insert brief moment of blindness/eye contact avoidance here) "Thanks Sharita! Way to step up. You will do great. Now... get to work, girl." 

We all reserve the right to say NO to being voluntold... but it is going to cause a lot of issues, especially when we are being voluntold or called to do something by our Lord. We can say no... but then we have the whole issue of disobedience to deal with. While that sounds like a less than winning situation, let me assure you that living a life of obedience and embracing those calls of voluntold-ness is worth it. God knows what He is doing, and if he gave us choices all the time, we would probably be in a bigger mess than normal. 

Have you been "voluntold" to do something lately as a soldier in the Army of God? Have you complied and followed through or tried to say no? Take heart and have faith... God is the ultimate commander-- He isn't interested in making you hurt or live in a pool of bureaucracy. He loves you... So when He has voluntold you to do something, let's head into battle, together. Look up, smile and say YES SIR! 

You won't regret it. 

Thankful to be Voluntold, 

SGK  

"Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask." Philemon 1:21

PS-- The giveaway for the free "Leadership and Faith" package is still going on... BUT TODDAY IS THE LAST DAY! (Entries close at 8pm EST) You don't want to miss out on this great opportunity. To enter comment here or see my celebration post for more information!