My wife and I recently watched a reporter do a segment on escaping from a boat or plane that has crashed in the water. Some professionals were teaching that reporter, and the key, they told him, was to be ready. In the event of a crash, he was to: 1) find a reference point so he would know where he was; 2) identify an exit; 3) release his seatbelt and 4) exit the boat or plane.

Upon learning this lesson he escaped easily during a simulated plane crash. Then the reporter went through a second simulation, a boat crash. This time the reporter had difficulty and began to run out of air. He had to signal for the trainers to come get him out of the water. Fortunately, the trainers had practiced to the point that they had mastered crash rescues and they quickly and easily rescued the reporter.

You can see why God requires us to train to be ready to respond to whatever mission He calls us to. If the men training the reporter had not been trained and ready, the reporter would have died. In order to build man and advance the kingdom, we must be ready when opportunities arise to build people. We must be prepared and ready to respond to opportunities to advance our reach and influence so God’s reach and influence in the world can be increased through us. We have so much to talk about at our Readiness Retreat. I hope to see you there, soldiers!