Grace Under Fire …

Years ago I interviewed a spiritually mature man in my community to seek his wisdom on the topic of leadership.

He is an extremely well-read man, and I wasn’t surprised to find him giving me example after example from various books he was currently reading.

One leader stuck out in my mind–he kept mentioning a certain military leader whose “grace under fire” was detailed in the book Band of Brothers.

Well … I JUST finished reading Band of Brothers and I have to say … if you have any interest in learning better how to relate with people, get along, serve, do your part, lead well, and follow well … buy this book! It is simply marvelous.

AND–this gentleman, Winters (his rank kept changing as he continued to advance) is absolutely beyond the PALE an extraordinary leader.

I could give example after example, but I’d like to highlight just a few:

– When his men were surrounded (in numerous situations!), he went himself into harm’s way to scout out the situation and determine the best course of action.

– During one battle, he gathered his platoon and said, “Men, there’s nothing to get excited about. The situation is normal; we are surrounded.” Then he organized an attack, hit the enemy hard, and did his duty. (Amazing!)

– After he and his men had completed multiple battles, they were all granted a brief break. Almost all of the men went to Paris. At the same time, a large number of new recruits were on night training exercises. One “newbie” lost sight of the man in front of him “and drew a sharp breath. He tensed, looking around. A quiet voice from behind said, “You’re O.K., son. Just kneel down and look up and you can catch sight of them against the sky.” He did, saw them, and muttered, “Thanks,” and moved on. Later he discovered that the advice had come from Winters. So here was Winters, his battalion staff cavorting in Paris, leading an all-night exercise for recruits.”

(By the way, this “seasoned leader” this “old man” … was twenty-six years old.)

Is it any wonder why his men followed this leader?

They all, to a man, said that Winters led by saying, “Follow me!” (Not by ordering his men into situations while he stayed in some safe place in the back. Nope. He led by leading.)

I just love this book!

Thank God for the Greatest Generation! So many heroes!

(Although I know that most of them would eschew that title. In the book, one of the men wrote, “In thinking back on the days of Easy Company, I’m treasuring my remark to a grandson who asked, ‘Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?’ ‘No,’ I answered, ‘but I served in a company of heroes.'”)

Oh oh oh! A heartfelt thank you to all of our military (and their families!) and the military chaplains (and their families!) and to all who lay aside their own self-interest for love of God, their country, and their comrade next to them.

How convicted I am (especially when I consider how I interact with my brothers and sisters in Christ–are we not warriors in a war too? So why do I act like I’m sailing along on a cruise ship, my comfort, convenience, and my happiness my preeminent concerns? But actually we are on a battleship; we have our orders; we are called to be a “band of brothers” as we lay down our lives for one another and for our Leader!)–how convicted I am.

Thank God for mercies which are new every morning!

Here’s to a blessed, God-centered Tuesday when we wake up in the morning.

Yours,
Tara B.

PS
(Please use caution especially with children if you click through to this website as some of the posts might be only appropriate for adults … but I love this site and I wanted to share just a few of the reasons why …)

(HT Military Motivator!)