Matt: 13:3 Part 4 Salvation on the High Seas

[saint701]

Hello Christianity Oasis, All...

Blessings!

Knowing I wasn't equipped to serve the Lord didn't stop me from desiring to. I asked my wife Teresa if she would mind it if I attended seminary. She said that my attending seminary was a no go for her. Small wonder...there simply aren't enough godly minded women willing to participate in a ministry of the Gospel of God, some even causing their husbands to leave the ministry to save their marriage. In my head, I thought, well it is all about the money...she was a blossoming gal of greed, but what she did agree to not long thereafter should have had me scratching my head...I really did have a strong desire to serve the Lord so I began looking for a solution to the money problem. She had a good teaching job and so did I. We were very well off for 24-year-olds.

I asked her if she would mind if I served the country in the Navy. After-all the full G.I. Bill would be available to me once I completed my stint of service which would pay for seminary if I still desired to attend. My base pay grade would pay me within 30 dollars a month of what I was making as a teacher. She didn't object so in the Navy I went! After boot-camp I attended a school in Meridian, MS where I learned the Naval art of personnel administration. Next came my primary duty station in San Diego, CA where I was attached to Air Anti-Submarine Squadron 38.

The squadron was in transition, changing from planes with propeller engines to new planes with jet engines, then called the S3. Their main mission was to search for enemy submarines using sonobuoys. With the change-over came numerous personnel changes, of which, the personnel office where I worked became the central focus for enlisted personnel. We would be land-based during the transition with a target work up to a WESTPAC beginning in the Fall of 77 and actual deployment coming in the Winter of 78.

When I arrived at my duty station it was February 76. I certainly didn't expect the commanding officer of my workspace to be Marijuana but it was. One of my co-workers was a pure bread hippie. And when I found out he was pushing smack as well as marijuana conflict ensued. I wouldn't participate in his nightly parties and I immediately became the hated member of the staff.

Then one day I brought a book to read at work on my downtime. Such was common practice, that and playing chess even while on duty. The hippie dude noticed that the book might have something in it that might further quench his thirst for knowledge. At the same time he had in his possession a paperback book by the famous South African minister Andrew Murray, entitled, The Two Covenants. He offered to trade his book for mine. I eagerly agreed. But I didn't read his book at that time. In fact, when I got home that day I placed his book in my bookcase and pulled out a book by Victor Frankl that promised to teach me how to embrace suffering.

After-all, being the persecuted member of the staff was extremely stressful. And, rather than read the book in the office during lunch-time, I decided to drive the few blocks to the beach to read it. That decision helped me a lot. Both the beach and the book were needed. I gained the calm serenity of the ocean view and learned how to embrace suffering. However, the book the hippie traded with me for would be of monumental importance to me once out of the service.

The next step I took would be even more beneficial in helping things begin to go my way in the office. I decided to pray for everyone around me each night before bed. Oh how I prayed that the blessings of the Lord be upon them!!! Then one morning just before waking the Lord gave me a dream.

I was out in the ocean with a co-worker holding on to a raft. I came up out of the water first. It would be a few months before I understood the significance of that dream, but to make a long story short, by virtue of handling my office situation the right way, I was promoted before my co-worker, and once out to sea on the WESTPAC, I was in charge of the entire office!!! Praise you dear Heavenly Father! I worship you! I give you glory! In Jesus name I pray and give thanks, Amen!!!

Next: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit


Blessings!
Love, In Christ Jesus, Saint701.