THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND
There is a line separating dedication-to-duty from "work-a-holism". Dedication to duty is good, healthy, and positive. Work-a-holism, on the other hand, is negative, harmful and eats away at family relationships. We must know the difference between the two. Let me tell you about a man who was called the Greatest American Soldier of the 20th Century: General George C. Marshall. Born in Uniontown, PA in 1880, he graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1902. As a junior infantry officer in the US Army he served two tours in the Philippines, in several stateside camps, then to Europe where he helped plan some of the great Allied campaigns of World War I. He was selected to be senior aide to General "Blackjack" Pershing; then off to duty in China. In 1938 he was chosen by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to be Army Chief of Staff, a position he held throughout World War II. As COS he oversaw the greatest build-up ever of the Army--from 200,000 to 8.5 million soldiers. He volunteered and was considered the first-choice to lead the D-Day invasion of France, but President Roosevelt was so reliant on General Marshall that he would not let him leave Washington. In 1946 he became Secretary of State and engineered a plan to bolster the economic recovery of a devastated Europe. President Truman insisted (despite Gen Marshall's protests) that this massive undertaking be called the Marshall Plan. He was an architect of NATO and helped contain the fighting in Korea. In 1953 he was awarded the Noble Peace Prize, the only professional soldier to be accorded that honor. It is said that at the height of World War II, despite his crushing responsibilities, General Marshall went home every afternoon to take a nap! Although we may not be able to go home and take a nap in the middle of our day, let us be on guard that we not succumb to workaholism. Let us also watch out for each other in this area! If you: take periodic breaks from your busy work schedule, get away periodically from the demands of the job, take leave and allow yourself time to enjoy some quiet time each day... then you will be able to return to work and tackle your responsibilities with renewed vigor, dedication, and peace of mind. Have a nice weekend and, as always, Safety First!
Chaplain Mitch Schranz
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