There are many times that I have Soldiers stop me in the hall of our Battalion Headquarters and ask to come and talk. It maybe because I’m always in the hall way or they were on their way to see me and found me.
The Soldier will walk with me and exchange some small talk and then after I close the door, I typically ask; “What’s up?” or “What’s going on?” Then the Soldier will begin to tell me what is happening in his or her life. Many times, the Soldier just needs somebody to listen to them. This is good for them to do—sometimes Soldiers spend much time and energy dwelling on issues and bottling them up. Many times they will talk with their friends but a talk with a Chaplain helps.
Often, I’m able to pray with the Soldier about what is going on in their life—pointing the Soldier to Christ for the true help in the midst of crisis. This is always a blessing for me.
As the session closes, I shake the Soldier’s hand—hoping I’ve been able to help. It is nice to see them several weeks later after the crisis has passed and they tell me that everything worked out OK. I have done this about 200 times within the last year, 50 times since July. It is one of the most important (and rewarding) roles I play as an Army Chaplain.