23may16

Proverbs 24:16 ESV
For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

Sunday morning I started my day by going over to Camp Casey and praying for our Expert Infantry Badge candidates before the first event of their actual testing. (If you didn't catch what the rigors of this competition are and mean to a Soldier check out my Word of the Day from last week). The competition started with a Physical Training Test. The Army standard for physical fitness is not one that most civilian people can even meet (which is scoring at least a 60 in each event) and EIB candidates must score above 80 in each event (push ups, situps, and running 2 miles). This is not an easy task especially after two weeks of grueling training from sun up to sun down. I can't do it. But, these men tried.

After the first event I waited as they came off the PT field with their heads hung low and some with tears in their eyes. One word rolling through their mind... failure. More came after the second. After the run only 90 out of 160 were still in the competition. And that's considered a good showing! That leaves a lot of Soldiers walking around with that word haunting their thoughts. Failure. Have you ever given everything you had to something? Tried to come across the finish line only to realize you were 5 seconds too late? Been one sit up short of the prize? Have you ever thought you were a failure?

The difference in this verse between the righteous and the wicked is one thing... persistence. The righteous falls more times but, each time rises back up again. The wicked turn their failures into a time of calamity. "It's ALL OVER!!! Woe is me!!! Waaaah!" This kind of reaction can be most of our initial reaction but, it cannot stay in our hearts. We must rise again. Learn from our failure. When you fail it does not make you a failure. It's HOW you fail that makes you a failure. Will you rise back up this morning from your failure or will you allow it to turn your life into a calamity? Rise up.