by Captain Daniel Simmons
Growing up, we were often concerned with where we were going to live, what we were going to eat and how we were going to survive. We had so very little all the time; yet my mother taught me that the trials and hardships in this life are opportunities for God’s power to penetrate the darkness and rescue us. Despite all the hardships, God saw fit to call me into a lifetime of ministry and service through The Salvation Army. Convinced He was calling me, I answered, “Yes, Lord!”
As an officer I have had the wonderful opportunity, along with my wife, to prove myself to the Lord by serving those entangled in difficult situations with seemingly no way out. Although officership is not easy, there is nothing more rewarding than fulfilling God’s will for my life. Like many people from poverty-stricken areas, my father was not in my life, and my stepfather was not a nice man, to put it mildly. I’ve found that God uses even this in my ministry. Many teens at the corps in which we have served have lived in similar situations. Many of them want love from a father that they don’t have. Many deem themselves unlovable. It’s a privilege to laugh, hangout, mentor, guide and, above all, love those who identify as unlovable.
Over the last 3,181 days as an officer, I have cherished building relationships with people. God is in the business of transformation. He desires to change lives into something the individual has never dreamed of. So, we must be about our Heavenly Father’s business. Not only are we called to win souls for Jesus but also to make disciples in His name. I cherish the moments it seems as if I accomplished nothing in a day only to find out I made a big impact in someone’s life. It encourages me to always practice the presence of Christ.