Advancing Warriors - Thoughts on the Day-To-Day of a First Responder
We were thinking recently about Advancing Warriors, who is a part of our community, and how each of our own experiences are so valuable in helping others.
One of the things that I realized was that maybe sometimes when I am facilitating, or teaching, or just talking that I might emphasize the military "aspect" of AWI more than first responders. This isn't deliberate, but it's just my own "availability bias," my subconscious emphasis, from my own experiences and perspectives.
It's probably easy for lots of folks to recognize and be grateful for the service of those in the military, but how often do we overlook the day-in-day-out service by first responders?
In my military experience, I deployed many times with combat for almost a total of three years of my life, and sure, at times things got a bit "dicey."
But I read a stat one time that showed that that average first responder experiences 188 "critical events" in the course of their career...I certainly was never in 188 firefights.
But let's also take another look at the "average" career of a first responder...
If we look at the length of a typical career, with a 40-hour work week (but we all know they work way more than that), their amount of service time is about twice as many hours as my own combat experience. But I think an important thing to remember is that my combat experience was overseas...not where I live.
Can you really quantify the burden of being on the streets, day after day, often seeing the worst that the world has to offer...in the same town where you sleep, where your kids go to school?
Not to mention, even when off shift, because where they work is where they live, are they really ever "off the clock?" My gut tells me, "no."
These men and women, selflessly serve others, exposing themselves to not only physical danger, but the chronic and ongoing mental and emotional burden.
For me, I can't even begin to imagine the toll that takes.
So, from all of us to all of the first responders, THANK YOU. You certainly don't get the credit or the gratitude that you deserve.
It's our hope that through Advancing Warriors, we can contribute to helping to reduce the toll that burden takes, but it's not really Advancing Warriors that does that, it's through God, through the power of Jesus' promise of everlasting life.
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Summer is a busy time but we have a number of AWI groups kicking off starting this week. Here are the details, and if you are interested in any of them, please reach out via the links below and we'll get you connected.
Meets virtually each Monday night at 8pm mountain.
Not an AWI program, but an opportunity for ongoing Bible study and fellowship.
Starts June 27th, but will take sign ups through July 11th.
There are a few spots left for this in-person group covering spiritual warfare.
Starts July 11th in the evenings.
This is the longest AWI program and is an in depth study on discipleship.
Tentatively planning to continue this group into the final program going over eternal rewards.
Starts July 12th and will be virtual.
This is a limited group, please reach out for more info.
Starts August 24th, in person at Grace Church
Offering the first two AWI programs, one right after the other
TRIBE @ Cherry Hills Presbyterian Church, Highlands Ranch, CO
Starts September 13th
Pending Groups
In Christ,
Dan, Ellie, the AWI Board, and Community
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God offers eternal life as a free gift to all who believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life (John 3:16; 20:31). This everlasting life can never be lost or taken away (John 5:24; 6:35), and never requires one's works in order to receive, keep, or prove that salvation (Eph 2:8-9).
This truth is, and always will be, the bedrock of our programs.
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