Who Are They?

An elite fighting force for special military operations.

Applicants are immersed in frigid water until they are nearly hypothermic, body temperatures falling to as low as 92 degrees.

They slog through crashing ocean surf which challenge their ability to stand.

They face muscle-melting demands as they carry rubber rafts over their heads.

At times they get little sleep for up to five nights in a row.

These trainees carry telephone poles to build strength and coordination.

They are taught to rhythmically bob up from the bottom of a pool, getting another breath of air and returning to the bottom of the pool.

Their scuba masks are taped over to simulate dark and murky waters.

To survive frigid water, they hug a team member to retain some body heat.

Underwater demolition is one of their expertises.

The hands of the trainees can become raw from rope climbing.

A starting class of one-hundred and forty-four trainees can end with only 38 graduates.

They are members of an elite class with approximately two thousand enlisted in the Navy.

The are called Navy SEALS! (SEa Air Land)¹

Navy Seals are one of the toughest, if not the toughest, group of fighting men in the armed services. In a recent Life magazine blurb about Navy SEALS, their grueling training is revealed.

Bound hand and foot, the students must tread water for 10 minutes, then retrieve their masks from the pool's bottom with their teeth. "If they panic," says a Navy spokeswoman, "they're toast." At any time, a trainee can ask to be untied, then walk to the quadrangle and lay his combat helmet next to a bell, whereupon he is released. There is no shame in "ringing out" of the program--more than 60 percent of these recruits will, with no harm to their Navy careers.²

When one reads about such gruesome training and endurance, one can only admire the courage and stamina of such men! What is it that drives these recruits to endure the trials. One motivation is the honor of being identified as a Navy SEAL! Being a SEAL means that one has been through some formidable trials and in some mighty deep and frigid waters.

We may have failed as a church to train and prepared God's people for deep waters and tough times, to face the challenges when they overwhelm the soul. In fact, if trials and tribulations catch us unprepared, we may well face an increased possibility of defeat!

God's people can and do face difficult employment situations, experience challenging ministries, work their way through tangled marriage problems, survive overwhelming financial problems, make hard decisions in raising children, etc. We must also fight the panic that comes with being in deep waters! At times, we will all have to decide whether we want to "ring out," ask to be "untied," lay our helmet down, and ring the bell of surrender. The Lord's desire is that we can just keep on fighting that repeating desire to give up!

1. Richard J. Newman, Tougher than hell, Vol. 123, U.S. News & World Report, 11-03-1997, pp 42.

2. Charles Hirshberg, the Big Picture: Staying Afloat, Life, 08-01-1996, pp 8+.