"We put our trust in the Lord, but we kept our powder dry."
-- Regimental Monument epitaph at Gettysburg National Military Park
Image courtesy of AccuWeather.com
There are over 1300 monuments at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, befitting memorials to the over 50,000 casualties resulting from this most-critical moment of American history. While on a trip there years ago, I encountered one of the park's smaller memorials bearing an inscription that was monumental in stature. It's the passage noted above.
The wisdom and insight of this inscription is timeless. Certainly, as believers, we are to place our complete trust and faith in God. But not as mindless drones, scuffling along in life, waiting upon God to do both His part and ours. No, it's a much more active faith that is required. We are called to be agents of light and hope in a world daily battling darkness and despair. Fulfilling our role, we thus need to be ever alert and prepared to engage in the good fight, effort that will likely require all that we have.
In short, we have to get comfortable with the paradox of being both fully trusting in our faith while also being fully committed to acting on that faith. Or, said another way -- pray as if it all depends on God; act as if it all depends on me.
________________________________________________________________
Dear Lord,
Thank you for calling me as one of Your own. Thank you for buttressing my faith. Help me to be attentive and vigilant to act on this faith, prepared to take on whatever the day brings. Under Your triumphant banner, I cast my lot.
Amen.
