Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

Early on the morning of June 7, I boarded an airplane in Atlanta for a short twenty-eight minute flight to Fayetteville, North Carolina. I was greeted curbside by my grandparents at the Fayetteville Regional Airport, and we began the five hour car ride to Clemson, South Carolina.

We spent the next two days on the campus of Clemson University for my grandfather’s 70th class reunion. My grandfather, and the other members of his class, graduated in May 1942. Nearly all of these men received military officer commissions, and they were sent to serve in World War II.

When I think about what it means to be courageous, I think about the Clemson Class of 1942 – “the War Class.”

One member of the Class of 1942 remarked to me, “We are not courageous because we served in World War II – this was our duty. We are courageous because we continue to serve when we are asked to serve.” He went on to say, “Our country and the world needed us.  We did the job.  We came home.  Then we set out to make our communities better places.”

Today, few understand what it means to serve with the singular goal of making life better for others. This kind of service is the most courageous because it is inherently selfless.  Our Christian faith calls us to this kind of selfless and courageous service. Unfortunately, few – too few – understand what this means.

My prayer is best articulated by the hymn writer, “Save us from weak resignation, to the evils we deplore. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal.”


-- Mathew Pinson, North Georgia Ann Conf. 

God Is Still In Control!

Miss Lladale Carey
Web Content Producer
www.umcgiving.org
lcarey@umcom.org