I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. Psalms 13:6
He was a quiet man sort of like Mr. Miyagi the fictional karate master from the Karate Kid film series. I had the privilege of meeting him as part of my boot camp in the Navy back in September 1971 just shortly after turning 19 years old. He was Filipino and was a strict disciplinarian that stood tall at 5’6” or less. During my only (thank God) private meeting with him, Mr. Miyagi asked me to fill out a questionnaire. It was all about setting personal goals during boot camp. It included things like weight loss, increased physical ability, i.e., pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. There were other items that were electives like boxing, extra running, and additional time swimming. When I completed my list and gave it back to him, he glanced it over, made me a copy and just said, “Make It So!” He pointed to the door and over time, his three words of instructions became the rallying call for Company 319. We even had a flag made that displayed our mantra, “MAKE IT SO” and our flag bearer carried it proudly as we marched in perfect formation.
Fast forward to a brand new recruit in the army of Christ that had just turned 47. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior on November 13, 1999 at Primera Baptist Church. My new ‘drill instructor’ was named Diana Tello that was well versed in the Good Book. She only spoke Spanish and my heart and soul absorbed every word like a thirsty cactus after a much needed rain. I kept asking her about when I would be baptized and she would just say, “Solo Dios sabe.” (Only God knows.) After a couple of months, she asked me, “Ruben, que es bueno?” (what is good?) I was puzzled by the question and again she asked me to tell her what good is.
I thought to myself, this is it, the final quiz that will get me immersed into the baptismal font. I quickly proceeded to tell all the things of how I define ‘good’. She repeated “Y que mas?” (What else?) several times. I must have talked for 15 minutes and told her about everything from praying to helping the elderly cross the street. I even mentioned picking up the tab when at lunch or dinner with someone. Finally, I reached my last item which was about calling my mom regularly. She had a sly smile and said, "Okay, open your Bible and go to the verse found in James 4:17". This scripture says, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” She smiled and said, "You know what is good and I know you don’t want to sin”. My old self was screaming, “You are wrong for doing that!” As a new creation in Christ, I knew that spiritually it was the best for me.
So, here is the question: What is good? Write your complete list down and then Make IT SO!
God Bless You. Make it a special Valentine’s Day by inviting Jesus to live in your heart or telling someone about Him.
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