Imagine, if you will, a military promotion ceremony. Oh the pomp and circumstance , the formality, the regalia, the fancy of the pantsy. Now, insert one Young Warrior in the mix. You have the highest of muckity mucks in this U.S. Army and the leader of Trey’s army (that being Trey himself) all in one ceremony together. Yes, you need not imagine it for that is what is before us this weekend.
We are extremely blessed to get to attend my brother-in-law’s (Bob Pleczkowski) promotion ceremony as he will become a Colonel in the Army! Our whole family will be there…including Trey. Oh, he will be rockin’ the bow tie and dressing the part. But do not kid yourself, he will still be all about the Warrior. He will be in his glory with aunts/uncles, cousins, grandparents and more all surrounding him in one place. Never mind that there will be “other people” there. You know, other guests, military personnel…those people.
One thing has hit me. Promotion. Bob has been all over the place in his military career. With each promotion means new coworkers, new people to lead, different people to follow. Many times a promotion entails moving to a new department, new floor, any new location, even a new city or state far from those he has been surrounded by for months if not years. Many of us have been promoted over the years, I hope that most of us have. For Bob, this is as far as he can go in the Army.
Now, what about the spiritual realm? Are we promoted there as well? What is the final promotion? If it, in fact, is the promotion to a final assignment in heaven what is the reality of those of us still enlisted? Still working, still on assignment, still being refined. Just likes those Bob no longer serves beside from earlier stops in the Army, we have to deal with the fact that some move on.
It doesn’t make one feel better knowing that another has been promoted. We can feel good FOR another who has been promoted, but we still miss them. All feelings are valid and rooted in something…and can’t be summarily ignored. They stay with us, they go somewhere.
The obvious analogy is there. There may come a day when Trey gets “promoted.” We can be happy for HIM. He will be in glory, there no will be no more pain (he’s not in any pain right now…much as we know anyhow. He did walk around with a broken femur, a collapsed lung, minimal blood counts, chemo pulsating through his system, etc.). However, we will be left behind and miss him. That’s ok too.
Lastly and having nothing to do with being promoted. Imagine again the scene of Trey in that room this weekend surrounded by oh so very much. Now, put him in a concrete surrounded hospital room…for 36 or more hours…by himself, alone. Does that sound like a good idea? No, we don’t either. For us, for us, it seems like something that would serve our needs of doing something, anything, regardless of the cost.
I ask you, what concrete barriers have been placed around you? Have you put them there or were you placed there? Either way, being cut off from others is simply not the solution. It’s not living, it’s trying to evade dying…which eventually is unavoidable.
There are many holes in my analogies today, I will grant you that. You’ll have to forgive me. You see, my assignment this weekend is to somehow synergize the Colonel and his ilk with the Warrior. This could earn me a promotion. If not, I’m content with my role. I’m not alone.