News Type: 
President's Blog Date: 
Friday, March 4, 2022 Byline: 
Colonel David L. Coggins, USMC (Ret.)

"Spring Break" is one of the happiest phrases in the English language.

Today as I watched our cadets streaming out of our classrooms, boarding buses to the airport, or jumping in their parents’ cars, I could see the spring in their step, the smiles on their faces. I could tell that they were happy to be freed from the classrooms and challenges of school and to be going home to see family and friends. 

I was reminded of the Bible story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, freed from their bondage.

For the Israelite’s, however, their joyfulness eventually turned to fear when they realized they might be in danger…Pharoah's army was chasing after them. As they reached the shores of the Red Sea, seemingly an impassable obstacle, they were scared that they would be pinned down and destroyed by the Pharoah's soldiers.

Moses said to them:

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today."—Exodus 14:13 (NIV)

I've been thinking a lot recently about that word, deliverance. It’s not a word we use a lot in everyday conversation, but it is a word that means a lot to me in my faith as a Christian. It means to be rescued, to be set free, to receive salvation and redemption. Jesus taught us to pray that God would “deliver us from evil.” —Matthew 6:13 (NIV)

Our cadets have certainly been through tough times in the past school year as the dangers of a global pandemic altered all our lives. Now, just as we are emerging from that dark valley of COVID-19, some of our cadets may be traveling to homes across the globe in Europe and Asia, to countries like Germany and Kazakhstan, where new threats to world peace have suddenly grown very real...and very frightening.

These are truly Red Sea moments in our lives. 

The Israelites’ deliverance came in the form of a miracle...the waters of the Red Sea were parted, and the Israelites crossed on dry ground. When they reached the other shore, the waters came back together and washed away the threat of Pharoah's army.

My faith teaches me that God will get us to the other shore. God walks through the dark valleys with us. God does deliver us from evil. Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will bring.

I pray for each one of our cadets by name, and I ask that the Lord watch over each one of them. I pray that they will put their faith and trust in God in all things. I pray that they will return to us from their Spring Break safe, refreshed, and ready to finish out the year with strength, confidence…and faith.

Amen.

And…Go FUMA!
 

Colonel David L. Coggins, USMC (Ret.)
President
Fork Union Military Academy