When God calls us, He has a plan

By: Lt. Colonel Eugene Slusher

I often think that when God calls us to follow Him, He has a spreadsheet that has all of the places He will assign in our ministry travels. We cannot peek on the sheet to see what is ahead. Our responsibility is to be open to His leading.

I think of that as I write this today, just a few weeks from celebrating 70 years of Salvation Army officership. God has provided us with yet another place to serve Him as corps officers in Huntsville, Alabama until the first week of June while the officers are on health leave. We are also the pastoral care officers for the Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi Division and will resume that responsibility in June. We are thankful for God’s guidance and good health that He provides to allow us to serve Him.

As active officers, we served 45 years in many types of ministry, ranging from the work of corps officers to commands, Adult Rehabilitation Centers, and even National Headquarters. In retirement, we have “held on” several times in various locations. When God called me, at the age of seventeen, to follow Him, He gave me Isaiah 41:10 as my verse to hold on to, which reminds us: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” These words have enabled me to keep doing what He called me to do.

Each place we have served has enriched us to be more dependent upon the Lord. Corps ministry was always a wonderful opportunity to speak on a regular basis and wonderfully prepared us for the appointment as territorial evangelists and a few years of speaking almost daily in more than 200 corps across the Southern Territory. Serving for thirteen years in Washington D.C. was also a gift from God that certainly helped us to prepare for the appointment of relocating National Headquarters from Verona, New Jersey to Alexandria, Virginia, as well as giving me the opportunity of serving as national public affairs secretary. That involved the ministry as a member of governmental responsibility and even as a representative to the White House.

So, as I now find myself working with local agencies that are geared to help our fellow man, along with standing behind the pulpit in each Sunday in this corps or across the division, I can remember my life verse and know that God is with me, upholding me, and helping me to serve Him today and every day.