When one

retires from the military after a minimum of 20 years of

service, one of the dwindling benefits still left are

free medications, praise the Lord!

These

medications are dispensed at the pharmacy at military

installations like Fort McPherson. Everyone who retires

eventually will be seen standing in line in their plaid

shirts, waiting for their high blood pressure medication

or headache meds or for whatever 20 to 30 years of

service has extracted from them.

A military

career of 20 to 30 years active service is like three or

four lifetimes. Imagine moving with your family on the

average of 12-15 times and your children having that many

different schools in 20 years.

Don't

misunderstand me. If I had it to do all over again I

would go tomorrow, very early in the morning, and sign up

and serve all over again.

I have

noticed something very interesting about the pharmacy

line at Fort McPherson. There are usually two kinds of

people waiting there in their plaid shirts waiting for

their numbers to be called. Some of these men have sold

their souls for a promotion and a fist full of dollars.

They have given up their faith, their integrity, their

morals, their marriages, and even their children.

Then right

next to one of them will stand another retiree in line

with his plaid shirt awaiting his blood pressure

medication, but he or she somehow is different. He or she

will be one who did not sell her soul for a promotion and

a fist full of dollars. They have kept their faith in

God's sovereignty, their integrity was intact, morals

were still there, marriages were still there, children

were still in loving connection with their families.

Wednesday

of this week at 7:30 a.m., I received a call from a dear

chaplain friend who is near his retirement time of 20

years active duty for his country. He and his wife,

Patty, and their daughter, Heidi, are serving at Fort

Lee, Va. They live in a beautiful homestead in Goochland,

Va.

Mike

Walters and I served together while we lived in Fairbanks

and Anchorage, Alaska. We had some wonderful days

together both serving God in the Arctic and hunting and

fishing the great "last frontier" of Alaska. We

still are in contact with our friendship and hunt and

fish whenever we can work it out. Praise the Lord.

While I was

serving as the division chaplain of the 6th Arctic Light

Infantry Division, I met Chaplain Tim and Judy Carlson

and their wonderful family. When I met Tim, I noticed a

very sharp chaplain who was loyal to the cause of Christ

first and foremost, one who had impeccable paperwork, and

was very loyal to me personally and one who didn't have a

problem with authority.

When I

received the call from Mike Walters, he informed me that

Tim Carlson had been promoted to full colonel. I was

overjoyed that on occasion, the "blue team"

wins. When Tim and Mike finally retire and put on their

plaid shirts and go to the nearest military installation

to get their high blood pressure medication or their

Prozac, they will be men who have kept their faith, their

morals, their families, and their integrity.

Stay in the

quest. Christianity is a 24/7 lifelong relationship with

God, not only a Sabbath ritual.

The Rev.

Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community

Church (SBC) and a substitute school teacher in the

Fayette County school system, and a former Army chaplain.

The church is currently meeting in the American Legion

Log Cabin across from the fountain on the Square in

Fayetteville. Prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail [email protected]