The prayer that keeps this ‘Officers' Kid’ grounded in a world of turmoil
This week, Global Focus shares the faith story of Stephen Strickland, the son of US Salvation Army officers, whose job is to ensure the safety of US citizens living in some of the most dangerous areas of the world, including the volatile country of Haiti, where he is currently based.
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
While some children of Salvation Army officers, mission workers or expats – those constantly on the move or with an altered sense of home – might find the lifestyle destabilising, others, like Stephen Strickland, thrive.
A child of Salvation Army officers from the Western Territory of the United States (retired Lieut-Colonels Ron and Pam Strickland), Stephen has made travelling and constant change a core part of his career path.
“There are people who could be seriously traumatised by having to pick up and move every couple of years,” he says. “I’m just lucky that wasn’t the case for me. It became something quite normal, and it certainly lends itself very well to what I do right now.”
Stephen is the brother-in-law of The Salvation Army Australia’s General Manager for Community Fundraising, Andrew Hill.
Andrew says Stephen has a job that keeps him far from his home in the United States and, at times, has separated him from his family for months.
Growing up, Stephen’s family took on Salvation Army appointments across the United States and the world. They moved to new places every couple of years, and Stephen loved the constant change. While at university, toying with the idea of staying in one place longer, Stephen realised travel was in his blood.
“I got that bug pretty early on,” he says. “I really enjoyed being overseas – new cultures, new experiences, languages, all these sorts of things.
“The idea of being in one place for a tremendous amount of time just felt very uncomfortable.”
Young Stephen also dreamed of working as a police officer.
“There was a unique way to sort of combine those two things – the ability to live and to work overseas, but also to do law enforcement on behalf of the US government,” Stephen says.
That unique opportunity was as Regional Security Officer for the US Department of State.
“The first prayer I have is ‘Lord, just use me’.” – Stephen Strickland
In this role, Stephen works to protect the interests of the United States government offshore, including protecting the safety of US citizens living overseas. As part of the role, Stephen has worked in Pakistan, Iraq, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, and most recently, Haiti.
With recent civil unrest in Haiti turning disastrous, including the devastating gang attack on Pont-Sondé on 3 October, Stephen’s job has become more vital than ever in ensuring that security protocols are followed and US citizens remain safe.
Stephen, who has been in the role for 20 years, says he has had two consistent prayers throughout his career.
“The first prayer I have is ‘Lord, just use me’,” he says. “I don’t have a preconceived notion of what that looks like, and the truth is, it looks very different in every place I’ve been.”
Stephen says at times, people he has worked with have noticed the difference in him and have asked him questions about his faith. He says he feels God is using him in Haiti in a very unique way.
“The second prayer is ‘Lord, please keep far from me any position, any power, any influence that my character isn’t strong enough to manage according to your will’,” Stephen says. “I’m not interested in that because I don’t ever want to undermine and live outside the Kingdom [of God] in a way that reflects poorly on him.
“He’s answered those prayers very consistently throughout these last 20 years.”
Dark nights of the soul
But Stephen doesn’t claim that all parts of his life and work have been rosy. He says while he has gotten to do some crazy things that he could never have fathomed, there have been really challenging times, too. Even in those times, his faith has been a constant companion.
“There’s been some what they call dark nights of the soul, particularly when I’ve been in assignments by myself,” Stephen says. “There’s been loneliness. There’s been a sense of lostness at times, and my faith is what keeps me moving in a positive direction.”
He says he wants to encourage Salvationists to keep a broader view of the Kingdom of God when living out their faith. He says the Great Commission in Matthew 28 speaks of all authority on heaven and earth being given to God, and God’s presence being with his followers always. Stephen says many Salvationists make the mistake of trying to represent The Salvation Army rather than representing Jesus. He said instead that Salvationists were uniquely positioned through their training and focus to go out into the whole world – not just The Salvation Army world.
“There’s been loneliness. There’s been a sense of lostness at times, and my faith is what keeps me moving in a positive direction.”
“When we tie our lot with him, when we invite his Kingdom to permeate our kingdom, we don’t have to worry about failure,” he says. “Sometimes, Salvation Army folks like ourselves just love the little bubble because it’s really comfortable.
“There’s an exciting world out there, and don’t be afraid to ask the Lord what [he] might be using The Salvation Army to prepare me for outside of the Army.”
Stephen’s uncle and aunt, retired Colonels Charles and April Strickland, served in the Australia Eastern Territory in the early 1990s. Charles was integral in the operations of family stores across the territory during that time.
