Christian Living

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Mission Accomplishment
© 2008

by

Stephen A. Peterson


It was 0645, the beginning of another hectic day for Marine Captain Angelo Bridgewater as Company Commander of a Company of more than 200 marines on the move in Iraq. Captain Bridgewater’s marines were making their push towards the capital city Baghdad. Lance Corporal Mona Hernandez, one of the Captain’s supply personnel, watched as her Commander shuffled through piles of materials and papers left over from the day before. He desperately needed to complete and forward a report by 0700 to Battalion Headquarter but he could not locate the form on his laptop computer. Five minutes of frantic searching unearthed the form from his hard drive but by the battery of his computer began warning that it was low.

“I think I’m losing my mind!” muttered the veteran officer.

Lance Corporal Hernandez, though a junior to the Captain in terms of rank and military experience, surveyed the situation then replied, “Sir, if you download notebook software authorized by the Navy, it will make efforts much more manageable, sir. It will clean up the mess you have, sir.”

“Clean up the mess,” though Captain Bridgewater. “Let me have your CD, Corporal, to download that program. After e-mailing his Battalion report, Captain Bridgewater downloaded the suggested program. He began transferring key information under significant files that he could readily access. For roughly two hours, Captain Bridgewater made transfers, mergers and deletions from his computer. Soon Captain Bridgewater was able to zoom through his reports and received timely reports from his subordinate platoons by having them download the program he received from his Corporal.

Lance Corporal Hernandez’s advice was a work and sanity saver for Captain Bridgewater. Years later, her words continued to influence his work effort and habits. Captain Bridgewater, now Major Bridgewater, learned to organize his work as well as his spiritual life no matter how later he must work or how tired he may become—he puts everything in place then develops a plan for the following day.

Likewise, God is not one who likes things to be disorderly in a person’s daily life. Through prayer and reference to Sacred Scripture, persons CAN get their spiritual and daily lives in order. We are challenged to find our advice from places we least expect them. Only are we able to accomplish these tasks if we open our hearts and mind to them. And when we do, we benefit in every phase of life as well as please our Heavenly Father who watches from above.

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