What to Do with a Dead Soldier

Dead soldiers are annoying, especially if you're in a hurry.

A "dead soldier," of course, is a colloquialism for a speed bump - an asphalt mound across a road where drivers are tempted to drive too fast. In school zones, "dead soldiers" keep kids alive.

We all need slow-down reminders - not just when driving, but also when driven - driven by the zillions of "hectivities" that distract us from our ultimate destination. We need to ease up on the gas pedal and apply the brake pedal more often. A prerequisite to spiritual awareness of God's loving providence is spiritual alertness. We need to "stop and smell the roses," but we must first "wake up and smell the coffee." 

By alerting us with the many frustrating but life-enriching "dead soldiers" in our life's path, the Lord seeks to condition us, by grace, to hear his divine whispers. For example, stalled by gridlocked traffic, we might hear the Lord tell us to be resigned to his will in that delay, and to use it to pray for ourselves or for the victims of the accident that precipitated the traffic jam.

Frustrated people "do not understand God's plan" (Mi 4:12), like the Pharisees, who "rejected God's purpose for themselves" (Lk 7:30). In every "slow-down" event in life, from interrupted schedules to the sudden death of a loved one, God speaks to us.

This excerpt is from the book One-Minute Meditations for Busy People, by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/video recordings can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408 or www.Catholicbooks.net