“Rangers! Get back here. Do it again.”
It was not even 6 AM and we had already been going for well over an hour. I had just dove headfirst into two feet of mud and water to crawl a distance of 20 feet under barbed wire. It sucks being wet—especially when it’s only 35 degrees outside.
Our instructions were simple. When we heard the Ranger Instructor yell “Go!”, we were supposed to scream “Ranger” at the top of our lungs and aggressively dive into the water. I had done exactly that, but my partner, who was randomly assigned to me just moments before this obstacle, had shown a little hesitation. In Ranger School, much like in life, there is no individual who succeeds on their own. If you make it, you’re going to make it as a team.
“Do it again.”
They were the last words I wanted to hear, yet, I would hear them repeated again and again over the four coldest months of my life that followed. While I couldn’t appreciate it in the moment, these were key moments that would define my journey. The instructor really didn’t care how loudly we could yell that beloved six letter word or how hard we could dive into mud. No, he just wanted to know if we were willing to do whatever it takes. He wanted to know if we would quit or complain when things were unfair and miserable. He wanted to know if we would endure, if we would persevere.
Rejoicing in Suffering
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4 RSV)
Have you ever actually rejoiced in your suffering? It’s a hard task to accomplish and the last thing I wanted to do when I walked back to restart that obstacle during my time in Ranger School. Little did I know, this moment of cold pain and harsh reality was leading me to discover a new part of myself—the part that could rejoice in the midst of pain.
As time went on, the workouts got harder, the air turned colder, and my boots were still constantly getting wet, but something in me began to change. While the suffering and pain didn’t go away, I made the decision to respond to my circumstances instead of react. I was determined to embrace the pain and suffering while being in the midst of it. I wanted to feel every bit of it.
And I soon began reaping the benefits of this choice. I freed myself from the chains of daydreaming to be elsewhere. I was able to be present in the moment and therefore also be attentive to the needs of those around me. I decided I would become a light in the darkness. I wanted to be a sign of hope, joy, and peace to the men who were suffering around me.
This is exactly what we are called to do as disciples of Jesus—we must embrace suffering and confront our reality head on, not run from it.
Confronting Your Reality
Have you ever heard the story of Admiral Jim Stockdale?
For seven years, Admiral Stockdale was the highest ranking officer in the Hanoi Hilton—one of the most brutal POW camps in Vietnam. When someone asked him about the type of people who didn’t survive their time in the camp, his response was simple: the optimists.
The optimists were the ones who kept saying, “We’ll be home by Christmas,” and would sadly watch Christmas come and go. Next, they hoped to be home by Easter, then summertime, then Thanksgiving, and so on. Their false hope and mismanaged expectations plummeted them into a despair that caused them to lose their will to survive.
Admiral Stockdale talks about the two key components to surviving times of great adversity. The first is an “absolute, unwavering faith that you can prevail”. The second is the “need for the discipline to begin by confronting the brutal facts” of your current reality. Lacking either of these things will destroy your hope and drain your endurance.
While we need to have faith that we will be resurrected with Christ, we cannot neglect the crucifixion that comes first. We must embrace our cross in the present time with courage, strength, and focus.
I believe many of the casualties (i.e. lost souls) we see in today’s world find themselves constantly stumbling over the many crosses that are left un-carried by cowardly Christians. The heroes of our faith, the great saints, preached philosophies that sounded much like that of Admiral Stockdale:
“Those who flee like cowards from suffering have something to meditate upon when they see the enthusiasm with which other souls embrace pain. There are many men and women who know how to suffer in a Christian way. Let us follow their example.”
St. Josemaria Escriva
Do It Again. Today.
When you find yourself tired of sacrificing time to pray, do it again.
When you find yourself tired of forgiving the wrongdoings of others, do it again.
When you find yourself spent, exhausted, and wishing someone else could do your daily duties, do them again.
Life will be an uphill battle from now till the day we die. It is tumultuous, dangerous, and tiring. However, God’s grace is sufficient for you to endure all things for the sake of Christ. Unite your suffering to His and you will be amazed at the transformation of your mind, body and soul.
God wants you to be able to rejoice in all circumstances. The world needs you to be its light. When you wake up tomorrow and consider whether or not to carry your cross, I hope you’ll hear the words “do it again” and courageously embrace your responsibility with an unshakable joy.
About Nathan Crankfield:
Nathan Crankfield was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. At the age of 13, he converted to the Catholic faith, becoming the first Catholic in his family. Nathan is a proud graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University, a former US Army Infantry Officer, and now serves as a parish consultant for the Dynamic Catholic Institute. You can read more of Nathan’s writing on his ministry page: Seeking Excellence.
