Strength in peace
Today one message kept resonating with me over and over. As leaders, we have to display strength and calm in crisis. We have to bring our team’s through the crisis regardless of the fear, the sadness, or the doubt we may personally experience. Regardless of how we may question every thing we did that day or the days leading up to the event, we have to remain focused and take decisive action to mitigate risk in the future and show our teams how to continue to function in spite of how they may feel.
We are reminded to “not fear, for I am with you ; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). I distinctly remember the time when my husband Rob and I were deployed to Iraq together and this verse’s meaning changed for me and became a personal repeated prayer.
Rob’s convoy had been hit with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) while conducting security operations. I had remained on the base going through my normal daily routine. My job was what we call the Battle Captain-I ran the day to day operations. On that day, it was my job to bring the convoy back to base not knowing if Rob was alive or dead. You can read the whole story in a collection of stories published by Guidepost at this link Exploring God’s Promises PEACE. That day forever changed me- I did not have the strength to face the actions I needed to take without turning to God. I could not breathe or think clearly until I prayed.
Thankfully Rob came home to fight another day. One of our soldiers suffered a traumatic brain injury but they all lived. This year marks our 20 year Anniversary from this deployment-it is hard to believe that much time has passed especially since when I sit here and write, I am back in that moment as if it were yesterday.
Those dear leader friends of mine that have had that hard day(s),you know who you are. I not only pray for your employees/soldiers, I pray for you. I have walked in your shoes and it is only through God that we find the strength to carry on. I pray that you, like I did, take a moment to breathe, to pause and pray, and then go do what God placed you on this earth to do-go lead.
