Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Devotion

for the men folk

by Peggy Drinkard

One of my life heroes is Thomas Jonathan Jackson. In fact, he’s the only man whose portrait hangs in my house besides my husband, father, and sons. I read this description of him, sent to a newspaper in the winter of 1861, written by a soldier serving under him in the Stonewall Brigade: “Wherever the voice of our brave and beloved general is heard, we are ready to follow. I have read of the devotion of soldiers to their commanders, but history contains no parallel case of devotion and affection equal to that of the Stonewall Brigade for Major General Jackson. We do not look upon him merely as our commander – do not regard him as a severe disciplinarian, as a politician, as a man seeking popularity – but as a Christian, brave man who appreciates the condition of a common soldier; as a fatherly protector; as one who endures all hardships in common with his followers; who never commands others to face danger without putting himself first in the van…” Jackson was, of course, a deeply devout Christian; a Presbyterian of the strongest Calvinistic bent. That’s the foundation upon which his distinguishing virtues were built. As I read this commentary on his “leadership style”, I thought of my husband, my sons, and the men of Riverwood. I pray for each of them, that whatever field of endeavor they are in, whatever victories they achieve or failures they endure, they will possess similar qualities as men given responsibility for others by God. As they do so, I pray they will earn similar regard by those under their care, and that in our own way, we will possess similar respect and so make their load of responsibility easier to bear and more eagerly assumed.