Dick Trail

Opinion

Our most generous district

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

All in, all out. One hundred fifty large flat rate Christmas boxes sent to Grannie Annie's adopted Chaplains. I am humbled with the outpouring of items and treasure donated by individuals and organizations in this community.

It may be a good time to mention that Adopt-a-Chaplain is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt non-profit 501c(3).

Actually your contributions have slowed but still keep coming. That is OK as Grannie sends one or two boxes a week throughout the year. It is just that she aims to do the mass mailing in time to arrive before Christmas so that no G.I. will truly be alone at this special family time of the year. At least he or she will know that this community cares.

Allow me to share what kind of man that Grannie adopts as a Military Chaplain serving overseas. Here are excerpts from a Blog that her latest adoptee writes.This just after he was informed that he was be deployed for the fifth time in our country's ongoing present conflict.

Time to get my boots dirty ... again. October 14, 2014

When the emotions of life collide with the character of God ... you're going to surrender ... the questions is who wins? We have our own plans and dreams and surrendering those to someone else is pretty contradictory at a genetic level. We fight for what we want, pursue our dreams with reckless abandon until we get it or wipe ourselves out in the process. Then God calls and the rules of the game change. "Derrick (Sorry I won't use his last name), you have been requested to take this assignment and deploy to Afghanistan. What do you think?" asked my boss (9 September 2014).

My heart sank. I literally saw dreams and plans evaporate in the bewilderment of it all.

"Sir, I want to say no ... but I can't. I see the fingerprints of God all over this."

Five weeks later brings me to today. I'm a few hours away from leaving my family to fly to TX for a week of pre-deployment stuff then hop on a plane on Halloween and begin my 5th deployment (3rd time in Afghanistan). During the prep time my heart and emotions flip flopped almost weekly about deploying again. But I continue in the process of surrender.

I told the Lord years ago that I would go where He sends me and do what He has for me. I lost a dating relationship a couple months ago because of this ... God called me to Army life and she didn't ever want to leave her home. Though that stings, I know walking in the dark with the Lord is far better than proceeding in my own light and plan.

So, I continue to surrender. I surrender my cherished dreams to pursue a relationship that leads to marriage, because I'll be in combat. I surrender my dreams of being a husband and father because the older I get, women interested in that view me as too old. I surrender my ideas of comfy home for a while longer. I surrender the enjoyment of the little things of life that mean so much to me. I surrender Thanksgiving and Christmas family time for another year. I surrender whatever my life would have been had I stayed home. And as much as I dread this thought, the reality of going to war again means I surrender my life, but I am not hopeless (Psalm 91).

God called 5 weeks ago ... another deployment is in store for me at His direction. So, time to push away from my desk and office; time to turn over the keys to my car and Harley; time to see the stuff of my life get boxed up and put in storage. Time to get back out with Soldiers, showing God to them when God opens the door. Time to get my boots dirty in ministry in combat.

"Lord, I surrender to where you are leading. Take care of my family. Protect them while I can't. Give me wisdom and courage while I sleep and live in the shadow of the bullet. May those who see me see YOU."

That was written in October. Grannie just happened to choose him and his organization in Afghanistan to send her team's first fifty boxes. Then wonder of wonders the delivery of those boxes, which normally takes three weeks, made the trip neigh halfway around the world in a week. Grannie was ecstatic to receive the following email:

Ann,

Today I received all the boxes you all sent out here to support my soldiers. I am humbled that you all would go to such lengths to take care of so many of us and you don't even know us. We get boxes and letters of support from people back home and it is always like Christmas with each box and so encouraging someone we don't know sends us care packages.

CH (LTC) Derrick

Command Chaplain

Special Operations Joint Task Force -- Afghanistan

So that you the reader will know. This "Adopted Chaplain" of Grannie Annie's is only part of the story. She currently has adopted others and sent boxes to Ghana, Jordan and the USS San Diego at sea. Chaplain Derrick being the command chaplain has assured that our community's boxes of good cheer, love and concern will be distributed wherever American troops are serving throughout Afghanistan this Christmas.

This community's most generous support of our deployed troops brings to mind President Reagan's radio address Armed forces Day 1982. "Where do we find such men?"

Well, we find them where we've always found them. They are the product of the freest society man has ever known. They make a commitment to the military -- make it freely, because the birthright we share as Americans is worth defending. God bless America.

That is the way I saw it.