By now Brian has completed the Crucible – the 54-hour sleep deprived, food deprived, mental and physical challenge which marks the end of Marine Corps recruit training. He has devoured his Warriors Breakfast. I imagine he stood just a little taller as the Eagle Globe and Anchor emblem was bestowed upon him. He is no longer called recruit. He has officially joined The Few, The Proud. He is a Marine.
I have tears in my eyes as I write this because I know the effort it took my son to achieve this great honor. And I know he may have to pay the ultimate price some day defending this honor. But I’m proud that my son chose to engage in something far bigger than himself. I’m humbled that he chose to forsake his own comfort and convenience to serve others. Yes, he chose a difficult path. But all of his hard work and struggle is molding him into the fine man God intended him to be.
I’m beginning to understand a few things now: like the saying “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” You can’t go through some of the toughest physical, emotional and mental challenges of your life and come out of it unchanged. Or the bond that develops between people who have to rely on each other in extraordinary situations. Or the fortitude of military families who sacrifice so their loved ones can serve their country. Or the emptiness left in the heart when that loved one is half-way around the world. Or why military folks unapologetically sing the National Anthem just a little louder at ball games.
I never thought we would be a military family. But here we are. I am proud to be counted with other military families who have served or are serving. And I’m proud of my son, my Marine. Semper Fi.
8/20/09
8/17/09
Building Arks
I have very vivid dreams which I usually remember. This can be either fun or irritating depending on the dream. I would love to know what these dreams mean, especially the reoccurring ones. Like the one where I can fly – but only so high. And the one where I am driving in Colorado and hit an icy patch and the car starts sliding ever so slowly. I push the brake to the floor but the car keeps creeping down the road on its own. There is the one where bugs are coming out of a hole in the floor. Or the one where my teeth start falling out. Or the one - never mind, you get the idea.
The other night I had a dream I came upon some people who were building an ark. This was a real ark made to the specifications in the bible. I knew what the thing was just by looking at it but I asked the people what they were doing. “Building an ark,” was the answer. (Duh) I said to them “Don’t you know that God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood?” That was the end of the dream. Weird. But I think I remembered it for a reason.
The next day in church, our youth pastor was preaching. He had been through an all-nighter with the youth just two nights before (brave man) and he was telling us about the movie Evan Almighty. In the movie God asks Evan to build an ark. I’m thinking, “Why would God do that when he promised – hey, just like in my dream!” It turns out a dam breaks flooding the town but the ark saves everyone. If Evan thought like I did, the town would have been wiped out.
Then I thought, what if God is asking me to build an ark metaphorically. You know, asking me to do something completely out of the ordinary for my situation. It might be something that takes a long time to accomplish and may actually cause me to be ridiculed. But this ark would not be about me. God may be asking me to build it, whatever it is, for the benefit of others during some unforeseen event that He knows is coming. It might be just the thing to actually save someone down the line in ways I can’t possibly imagine now.
I wonder, am I tuned in enough to God to actually know what He wants me to build and to build it according to His specifications? Do I have the fortitude to ignore the ridicule and keep going? Do I have the wherewithal to complete this thing when I’ve misplaced the measuring tape and my arm hurts from hammering? Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know God wants what is best for me and those around me. I also know His ways are higher than mine, even when those ways make no sense what so ever at the time. I know He will comfort me when I’m down and welcome me back when I’ve taken a two-hour lunch break. I also know I CAN trust Him. So, where was that Gopher Wood?
The other night I had a dream I came upon some people who were building an ark. This was a real ark made to the specifications in the bible. I knew what the thing was just by looking at it but I asked the people what they were doing. “Building an ark,” was the answer. (Duh) I said to them “Don’t you know that God promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood?” That was the end of the dream. Weird. But I think I remembered it for a reason.
The next day in church, our youth pastor was preaching. He had been through an all-nighter with the youth just two nights before (brave man) and he was telling us about the movie Evan Almighty. In the movie God asks Evan to build an ark. I’m thinking, “Why would God do that when he promised – hey, just like in my dream!” It turns out a dam breaks flooding the town but the ark saves everyone. If Evan thought like I did, the town would have been wiped out.
Then I thought, what if God is asking me to build an ark metaphorically. You know, asking me to do something completely out of the ordinary for my situation. It might be something that takes a long time to accomplish and may actually cause me to be ridiculed. But this ark would not be about me. God may be asking me to build it, whatever it is, for the benefit of others during some unforeseen event that He knows is coming. It might be just the thing to actually save someone down the line in ways I can’t possibly imagine now.
I wonder, am I tuned in enough to God to actually know what He wants me to build and to build it according to His specifications? Do I have the fortitude to ignore the ridicule and keep going? Do I have the wherewithal to complete this thing when I’ve misplaced the measuring tape and my arm hurts from hammering? Honestly, I don’t know. But I do know God wants what is best for me and those around me. I also know His ways are higher than mine, even when those ways make no sense what so ever at the time. I know He will comfort me when I’m down and welcome me back when I’ve taken a two-hour lunch break. I also know I CAN trust Him. So, where was that Gopher Wood?
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