We have all heard the expression, “I never really appreciated my mother until I became one.” I believe the same applies to Salvation Army officers. I never really appreciated my corps officers until I became one.

For the past year, this has been my reality. Since we were commissioned in June 2007, my husband, Mark, and I have had a year full of love, learning and laughter—all of which have been keys to a positive experience as first-time officers.

In reality, I am not so much passionate about being a Salvation Army officer as I am about connecting people to God and to each other. For me, that is what officership—and life in general—is all about. My passion for officership comes from the reality that it is an awesome calling that allows God to use me to help people make these life-changing connections.

Life does not come without the good and the bad, the positive and the negative, the best and the worst. The Salvation Army is no different. It comes with some amazing qualities, but also some weak-er ones. On the whole, however, it is a Movement with an exceptional reputation for Giving Hope Today, both in Canada and Bermuda and around the world. Though under human direction, it is ordained and governed by the Holy Spirit. That alone is worth committing to and being passionate about.

If you are contemplating full-time ministry and sense God is calling you to be a Salvation Army officer, I strongly encourage you to respond. God has blessed The Salvation Army and enabled it to make a tremendous difference in this world. Officership will bring you tears of joy and sorrow, help you grow and learn, and stretch you in ways you never imagined. It will draw you closer to Jesus, allowing him to do “immeasurably more than all [you] ask or imagine” (see Ephesians 3:20).

Perhaps the nature of the training process may be influencing your decision making. The wonderful things about the training are the relationships you will build, the knowledge you will gain and the constant focus on nurturing your own relationship with God. All of this comes with the added bonus of living in a beautiful new residence and enjoying the journey of life with others who are just as passionate about serving God in deep and meaningful ways. Don’t get me wrong—there are difficult days at training college, too. It’s certainly not without its challenges. But if we focus on the positive aspects, the negative ones are more easily overlooked as we learn and grow through them. Author Chuck Swindoll reflected on this when he wrote, “Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.” This is great advice for all of us in our daily walk through life.

Let God speak to you and direct your path. May your heart and mind always be open to his leading. If he guides you in the direction of full-time service through Salvation Army officership, I encourage you to be open to daily challenges and learning. Be aware that everything comes with both positive and negative realities, and be ready to be constantly amazed at how God works and how he will use you to reflect his light and enlarge his Kingdom.