Encouragement in unlikely places

During a deployment, my life simplifies in many ways. I have very limited mobility, nothing to buy, and Amazon takes four to five weeks to arrive—when the mail is running! Only my job remains. That consumes 12-18 hours a day; then it’s eat, sleep and repeat. I’m not complaining. Without additional responsibilities, like picking the kids up at school, going to the grocery store, or a thousand other things, the freedom can be a little liberating. But the Internet can be limited at times during a deployment and binge-watching loses its charm after a few days for me. The food on base is pretty much the same unless it is a holiday, so eating tends to become more of a chore than a passion.

So, I am left with exercise. My particular base has two well-appointed gyms. With such limited entertainment, many of us start working out, lifting weights, some for the first time. One person in our group has lost over 50 pounds in four months because of the limited diet and available time to exercise.

During all of this, I have picked up running again. Some people find running liberating, and they talk about the surge of energy and hormones that are released when they run. I’m not like that. It is almost a battle of wills. But as a physician for the Air Force, I need to be fit and practice what I preach, so I run.

The longest run on my base is six miles, which is the majority of the perimeter of the base. I am hoping to run a half-marathon when I return, so I am doing 1-2 laps three times a week. I must admit that I do not see many folks running, but we who run have an unwritten code of conduct. As we pass each other on the route, there is always a friendly hand wave or head nod, but oddly enough, never a word is spoken. It is like the other person understands that we are both focused on running. But the encouragement of the head nod or wave is much stronger than I expected. It is as if the person is saying, “You can do it!” Even though no words are spoken, the support I feel when this happens is real and tangible. I find that after this happens, I lengthen my stride and push just a little more, to get a little bit more out of myself.

Do we have an unwritten code of conduct when we find people who believe in Jesus Christ, or are we silent or even deny that we know Him like Peter did? I have met people that tell me to “Have a blessed day.” I even have one patient that says a prayer with me before I leave the room, and once, after getting some unsettling news, she asked me to pray for her.

What is our response when we find another Christian at heart? I am reminded of the scripture in the KJV Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” We need not fear other believers, even if their faith differs from ours. The Lord will use his spirit to speak truth to both souls. You can contribute a head nod, or an “Amen,” or a “God Bless you,” or one of a hundred other phrases or signs that will encourage your new friend, in faith, to continue in Christ’s path. It is my hope and prayer that we will look for opportunities to strengthen our relationships and make new friends as we follow Christ.

Dr. John Boston is a local physician who is currently deployed in the Middle East with the Alaska Air National Guard, embedded with Combat Search and Rescue. He is a father, husband, and grandfather who believes in Jesus Christ and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.