"At the time it was hard to see much good in it. Looking back it made me into a new person – I learnt how to handle difficult situations, behave diplomatically and work under stress. Going through hardship, while not nice, was very searching." (Will Collis, one of the participants in the series "Escape to the Legion")
Going through hardship, while not nice, was very searching. Echoes of Hebrews 12:11? It was partly Escape to the Legion and the TV series "Bad Lads Army" and that set me thinking about this.
Recent struggles and the soul-searching that comes with it have highlighted a few things in my own life ... maybe you can relate to this in some way:
Uppermost in my mind is a preference for comfort. I find it hard to live a comfortable life and live on the edge for God at the same time. The aims of the two are so different. But I naturally prefer the former ... that's what my own hardships have revealed. Ouch. But they have also revealed a mysterious determination to pursue the latter. It's a daily battle.
"An unexamined life is not worth living." (Socrates) Growing in maturity always begins with truthfully confronting ourselves as we are, as unpleasant as that can be. It might not take a month in the Foreign Legion to show us our true mettle - it will more likely be our daily battles or struggles.
Finished! It was well worth reading ... many nuggets and insights into the life of a very public man, but one who seems to have a deep-rooted Christian faith. My copy is covered with pen and highlighter (the sign of a good read!)










