God on the way to June 26th
We have our date. Duncan will swear into the Marine Corps as a poolie (in the pool of Delayed Entry recruits) on Monday morning, June 26th. Kami and I spent some time with the sargeants down at Pontiac RS today and got some more questions answered. Things look good and positive. We read Frank Shaeffer's books to get ourselves ready. Kami and Duncan both thought Frank was a jerk and way too emotionally unbalanced (I did, too) so the consensus is we can get through this better than he did. We'll see.
What is amazing to me is how many Marines and Marine Corps family members God has placed in our path over the last several months. Dee Andrews has sent us good stuff and continually encourages us (her son was an officer in the Corps). Everywhere I turn there seems to be a Marine placed there by God to encourage us. Even on the plane coming home last night from Edmond, OK I sat by a man in his early 50's. For some reason our discussion moved to our children and I told him my son was swearing in very soon. His son was -- at that moment -- in the Mojave Desert doing his combat training in the Corps and the man himself was a former officer in the Corps. He told me: "Make sure he's in superb physical shape and tell him to find at least one thing to laugh about every day. That way, he'll make it."
The number of people who have come up with a tip, a small piece of advice, a contact, or an offer of prayer is amazing. If we ever doubted this was a God ordained journey for Duncan, we do so no longer.
In Oklahoma City, as I drove around the airport, I saw Sgt. Grits, a worldwide supplier of Marine Corps specialty gear. We have ordered things from the catalog a few times for Dunk's birthday and here was the warehouse! I went in, met the Gunnery Sergeant who runs the place and had such a good time I went back the next day for more.
Most of my life God's voice has been very hard to discern. In this, however, He could not be more plainly spoken. We have been given His blessing and we, in turn, gave ours to Duncan. We have not been promised that God would spare him from injury, pain, privation, or death. We have just been assured that we would not be alone, and neither would Duncan, as we journey forward.
Keep the prayers going for all who wear the uniform or carry a badge on our behalf. Semper Fi.
What is amazing to me is how many Marines and Marine Corps family members God has placed in our path over the last several months. Dee Andrews has sent us good stuff and continually encourages us (her son was an officer in the Corps). Everywhere I turn there seems to be a Marine placed there by God to encourage us. Even on the plane coming home last night from Edmond, OK I sat by a man in his early 50's. For some reason our discussion moved to our children and I told him my son was swearing in very soon. His son was -- at that moment -- in the Mojave Desert doing his combat training in the Corps and the man himself was a former officer in the Corps. He told me: "Make sure he's in superb physical shape and tell him to find at least one thing to laugh about every day. That way, he'll make it."
The number of people who have come up with a tip, a small piece of advice, a contact, or an offer of prayer is amazing. If we ever doubted this was a God ordained journey for Duncan, we do so no longer.
In Oklahoma City, as I drove around the airport, I saw Sgt. Grits, a worldwide supplier of Marine Corps specialty gear. We have ordered things from the catalog a few times for Dunk's birthday and here was the warehouse! I went in, met the Gunnery Sergeant who runs the place and had such a good time I went back the next day for more.
Most of my life God's voice has been very hard to discern. In this, however, He could not be more plainly spoken. We have been given His blessing and we, in turn, gave ours to Duncan. We have not been promised that God would spare him from injury, pain, privation, or death. We have just been assured that we would not be alone, and neither would Duncan, as we journey forward.
Keep the prayers going for all who wear the uniform or carry a badge on our behalf. Semper Fi.
posted by PatrickMead @ 6/16/2006 01:26:00 PM
5 Comments:
At 6/16/2006 03:40:00 PM ,
carrie said...
I know you are proud of Duncan. I am proud of all of the men and women that are willing to join the armed forces. I pray that God continues to put positive people in your path as you enter this new time in your lives. God bless you all!
At 6/16/2006 11:23:00 PM ,
Nancy French said...
Semper fi.
At 6/17/2006 08:30:00 PM ,
Bill Williams said...
Patrick:
Your posts regarding your son and his Marine Corps journey have been very interesting to me. I served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy and was attached to the Marine Corps. I never saw combat, because there was none to be seen at the time. If there had been, though, we would have been some of the first troops to go—and we were ready!
Until now, I've resisted commenting on this topic. With Father’s Day at hand, I’m thinking that I should speak up. There is a virtual avalanche of emotions behind what I’m about to say, which I’ll not dump on you here. Suffice it to say, dear brother, that your support and encouragement of your son is so incredibly heart warming. When my step-father dropped me off at the airport early one July morning in 1976 for my flight to San Diego and boot camp at the Naval Training Center, he gave me a perfunctory, weak handshake and said, “Good bye.”
I knew he meant it, too. I never received one word of encouragement from him—not one letter or postcard. In October of that year he divorced my mother, but he had checked out on the family emotionally years earlier. There were others like me in my company in boot camp, but not many. In a way, we were emotional orphans. When everyone else lined up to make their ten minute phone calls home, we generally stood at a distance making weak attempts at laughing off our sense of abandonment. We’d say things like, “I’m not gonna’ stand in that blank-ed-ee-blank line for a measly ten minute conversation, like those *&@!%#.” I served my time and went on with life.
As a young adult there was a huge emptiness inside of me that I could not quite figure out. It wasn’t until God blessed me with three sons and I started learning what it means to be a father that it all became clear to me. Actually, learning to be a good father for my three sons has been helpful in filling the emptiness. Additionally, within the past three years I found my biological father and we’ve been able to develop a healthy and blossoming relationship. One of the things we enjoy talking about most is our military service: his time in the Army and my time in the Navy.
So, I say, “Thank God for fathers like Patrick Mead! May their tribe increase!” Keep doing what you’re doing, brother.
God bless,
Bill Williams
At 6/18/2006 02:00:00 PM ,
David U said...
I know Duncan will make his mom and dad proud, and more importantly....his Lord.
God bless you all as you begin the new chapter together!
In HIM,
DU
At 6/18/2006 07:27:00 PM ,
PatrickMead said...
Bill, I believe that is one of the saddest stories I've heard in a long time. I'm sorry, brother. You are a good man and you did this nation a service. Thank you. God bless you and continue to fill your life with joy.
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