I DIGRESS ... TO THE PAST

We know that many times we are affected by situations/occurrences in our past that stay with us and sometimes actually cause our present behavior. Such a time for me was the summer of 1967.

On June 4, 1967, I graduated from The College of the Ozarks (now it is The University of the Ozarks). That same day my wife, Sharlene and I with another couple left Clarksville, AR, and drove straight thru to Myrtle, South Carolina. We spent three days there before driving back.

On June 20, I was called to leave for active duty in the Navy. I had joined the Navy Reserve before I ever met Sharlene. On that day I had to say goodbye to the one person I loved more than life itself. Somethings you just don't know how to do, no life-training for it.  We had been married for one month short of 1 1/2 years.

(Had to take a break here for an emotional relief.)

I'm in a library writing this and I just walked by a book with the title "LOVE NEVER QUITS". First thot was about how God's love never stops. Then about the love of a parent for a child. About my first love and wife.

I was in San Diego Naval Base waiting for my orders to come in. When they finally came in I was to hitch rides (bus, air, ship) to the South China Sea to join my ship, the USS Haleakala, AE25, an ammunition ship operating in North/South Vietnamese waters. I was to leave on July 25th.

Sharlene flew out to spend the 22nd-24th with me. We stayed with my aunt and uncle in Whittier, CA. We drove down to San Diego on the 23rd and spent the night at a motel. My aunt and two girl cousins went with us. Thank God they did.

The 24th  was a Sunday, 1 1/2 years after we were married. While I sat next to the pool in my civvies, Sharlene and my cousins were in the pool, (she loved water) standing at the divider rope talking. She was standing close between my cousins when she slipped under the water. My cousins went on talking and did not know anything was wrong. ER doctor said she was probably dead as she slipped under. 1 1/2 years after we were married.

The Navy gave me three weeks of unearned leave and I took her home and buried her in Springdale, AR. Not much time to grieve. I'll always be grateful that God had my aunt, two cousins and then my two guy cousins and my uncle who were there with me in the hours after.

I went back to San Diego Naval base to await new travel orders. The last of August I caught my ship in the South China Sea and was hi-lined over in the dark!!!

A few years ago I told a Navy Psychologist who was testing me for PTSD, that I still believe that my life is still being affected by that summer.

That is an event in the life journey that my Lord has me on.

Back to current events next time.

May our loving Heavenly Father keep you in His loving arms.

 

LISTEN/SILENT

LISTEN AND SILENT use the same letters. May there be some thing there that we need to learn?

I learned something about myself after I had been pastoring fulltime for some time. Someone would be telling me of a situation/problem/concern when something they said caught my attention. At that point I mentally closed my hearing, waiting to jump in and address that point. I did not really hear anything else they were saying.

There is a term for this but at this point I can't remember it. I was listening for something I could address, not to hear what all they were saying.

One of the main points to being a good friend/spouse is to know that most people just need some one to listen. A wife may be telling of a hard time at work that day. Husband stops her and gives her three things she should do to take care of it. All she wants is for him to listen, not try to fix anything. We  men tend to be fixers.

There are two verses that somewhat address this malady. Ecclesiastes 3:7b  "...a time to keep silence, and a time speak;" and James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,...". Pay attention husbands and you who want to be married.😀😀   Also, memorize 1 Peter 3:7.