20 minutes

I went to church today and I came right back to my desk to write this blog. I wanted to write down my gut reaction to the sermon. That doesn't sound good does it, gut reaction. But this is good. One of the base Chaplains, a 30 year old USAF Captain, gave the sermon today. The sermon lasted 20 minutes and I firmly believe that he changed many people's lives, all in 20 minutes. He talked about Grace and Faith and how it has related to his life. What I've noticed about the sermons over the past 3 months has been that they are sermons of life. How things relate to life. I guess all of the sermons I've been to in my life do that. But I guess with all of the war and death and distance from loved ones and friends, I've been paying more attention. But today's sermon struck close to home to everyone in the Chapel tent. He laid his life of Grace and Faith out on his sleeve for everyone to see and feel. Most of the sermons here cause people to get misty, especially the pastors, but this one sermon seemed to keep people from moving in their seats. He talked how his young life was like many young boys growing up except that his family liked to argue. So he sought refuge in a hidden place in his house and just got away from it all. He wasn't scared or anything like that, he just said he wanted to get away from all the arguing. As he grew up he realized that life is not what you expect it to be. He thought life was suppose to be like what you see on tv or suppose to be like how you see a neighbor across the street lives. As he lives his life as a Chaplain, he feels like people believe he is living a perfect life. That people see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. He is always smiling but when he doesn't smile, he believes people think something is wrong with the Chaplain. Chaplains aren't supposed to have a bad day. He says that he is not perfect, that he has made mistakes and continues to make mistakes in life. His first marriage failed because he failed his marriage. It was only after this failed marriage that he felt the need to be honest to himself about his life and to be honest about his life with God. Then he said something in his sermon that struck me hard. He said as a Chaplain, he doesn't feel worthy of God's Grace. A Chaplain said that, wow! That's how I feel; and he is immersed in the ministry all the time. I think we all try to live up to the expectations of God but of course we all fall short. But to hear a Chaplain say all of this, I think, puts our world into perspective. We have the Grace from God no matter what, if we have Faith, God will direct us to do what he wants from us in the manner and direction that God wants us to go. We choose to walk with God knowing that we slip during the walk, or we choose not to. The acceptance of that fact is the very core, I believe, of Faith and the acceptance of God's Grace thru Jesus. It is that simple...yes or no. That is that, Amen.