SOC - just keep running

When I was in the army, I used to dread Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) training - in those days, SOC meant wearing your battle gear, including helmet, boots, rifle, full waterbottles, grenades, mine prodder, torchlight and so on (we used to call it a "Christmas tree" because of all the "ornaments" hung on us, haha!), running a couple hundred metres, then going through a series of obstacles like a low wall, rope climb, Jacob's ladder, monkey bars, parallel bars etc and then finishing off with another run of a couple hundred metres, I can't remember exactly.

SOC training was tough.  All that gear was really heavy!  I recently tried the parallel bars and could barely prop myself up, much less stagger to the end.  I can't believe we used to do the monkey bars and all the other obstacles while hauling around all the extra weight!

One time, the instructor got us to run multiple rounds of SOC.  One round is usually enough to kill you, but he made us do reps! I remember he finally said, "OK this is the final round, give it all you've got!".  And so I did. Gave everything I had and hurled myself through the course.

Then...

"OK, well done.  Like I said, that was the last round of SOC.  Now - next part of the training - we will be doing the course backwards."

... what?

I had nothing left.  I was exhausted.  I thought we were done.  I had used up everything I had.  There was just no way I could do it.

But we got up.  And we went again.  And again.  And AGAIN.  When we finally finished, and jogged with all our gear back to camp, my mind was a blank, and everything about that morning seems a haze now, so my coursemates may remember it differently!

But years later, I still remember the life-changing lessons from that morning.

a. Life is what we make of it - rubbish in, rubbish out

I have met many many people who complain that National Service is a waste of 2.5 years (I believe now it is only 2 years).  They are correct.  Rubbish in, rubbish out.  If we put rubbish into National Service, we get rubbish out.  If we put our best in, we get the best out.  I am no natural soldier.  I am clumsy, nerdy and meek.  National Service should have been a waste of time.  Many parts of it were indeed awful to go through - but God allowed it to be two and a half of the most transformational years of my life.

And I have benefited from these NS lessons in working life too.  After working for several years, I was very proud to finally make Vice President in the legal function.  Upon which I was promptly packed off to be staff assistant.  This entailed working with the young scholars and management associates to take and vet minutes.  Some colleagues looked at minute-taking as menial work.  But those of us who realised that minute-taking was an amazing opportunity to see and hear the best at work, and force ourselves to learn and understand the matters well enough to record them accurately and succinctly - we benefited the most.

The Bible says at Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  How true!

b. We can do more than we think we can - but not only for the reason you think

My fuel tank was absolutely empty.  But I managed to get up and finish the rest of that SOC session.  How?  Because we simply can do more than we think we can.  I was not yet empty.  But by the end of the session, then, I was really empty!

Last Sunday, I ran a half marathon.  I am not a great trainer, but I do run on the treadmill about once a week.  That's not enough for a half marathon at my age!  So my knees and ankles were sore for the whole week.  But by mid-week, I thought to myself that I really needed get back on the wagon and start running again.  I planned to start with a less-intense-than-usual run.  My weekly run is 40 mins, so I thought I would do 10 mins less this time.  Since it was a shorter run, I figured I could afford to run a bit faster.  So by the time I reached 30 minutes, I was exhausted!  But the thought occurred to me - aiyah, just keep going for another 10.  So I went on.  And I ended up running 40 minutes, faster than I ordinarily did, 21k hangover, sore knees and ankles and all.  And then, again, I knew I was finally empty.

My point is that there are times when life is exhausting.  For some of us it is parenting, others work, looking after elderly family members, serving in church - whatever.  We can tap on reserves that we don't even realise we have when we push ourselves.  But there is still a limit, when we really are empty.  However, I have observed that there is a way that provides no limit - and I have seen it in the godly people around me.  They tap on God, who is limitless, and they keep going, joyfully.

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
But those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary
They will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

c. Our lives are meant to inspire someone else

Thanks to coursemates who led by example, I was inspired to be more than I could.  My buddy was (and still is!) a big strong guy.  One time we were climbing down a very steep slope on overseas training.  On top of our full packs, we were also carrying some very heavy ordnance.  I couldn't handle it and was slipping and sliding down the slope.  It was just too heavy.  My heroic buddy saw this, and took over.  He passed me his fullpack and took over the much heavier equipment (on top of those he was already carrying!), and we made it to the bottom.  I will always remember that, buddy.

There was another coursemate.  On this other exercise, we had been digging trenches for days.  We were exhausted.  We collapsed into our trenches.  Many of us fell asleep.  But to our utter amazement, this guy took out his Bible and started doing his quiet time.  I was then not much of a believer.  But years later, I look back and I remember him.  Wow.  And I am encouraged.

Hebrews 10:23-24 says "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

I am so grateful to my fellow cell leaders who constantly inspire my wife and me with their service.  I always enjoy meeting up with them and hearing of their latest exploits!  I am thankful for my fellow cell members, who spur my wife and me to be the best leaders we can be, by their love and support and dedication.  I pray that I will be that kind of encouragement to others as well - at home, at work, in church.  Oh God, erase my arrogance and impatience.  Teach me to model love, faithfulness and joyfulness!