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cizzowood
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Name: Douglas
Location: San Antonio, Texas, United States
Birthday: 8/14/1980
Gender: Male
Interests: Bible, Soccer, Football, Guitar, Family, Friends
Expertise: Navigation
Occupation: Military
Industry: Government
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  DouglasGWood1
Member Since:
2/21/2005
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| All Gave Some, Some Gave All
Yesterday, while running some errands on-base, I met a very interesting veteran. He was alot like the veterans that you sometimes see caricatured on TV. His hair looked like it hadn't been washed in several days (maybe weeks) and his eyes were wild and haunted. He seemed distracted and startled by every little bit of sound and his conversation was interupted every few seconds. I'm not sure if he had washed his shirt in a while, so it was dirty and stretched out by wear. In case you missed his hat with an Army Airborne symbol on it -- covered with pins and medals, his shirt screamed that he was a veteran by the words, "All gave some, some gave all."
We talked for a little while about the service and the country, but it didn't take long for him to bring up his time in Vietnam. He said that he was an Airborne Ranger for 33 years and that he had 2600 jumps to his credit. As we started to get closer to the checkout counter, his stories got sadder and sadder. He began telling me, as if he couldn't hold it back, about his buddies who never made it out of the jungle. The stories about bullets coming out of ambushes never seen, catching him and his companions completely by surprise and then enemies immediately shrinking into the darkness, were fairly graphic but full of emotion. They were so real, that you could see him experiencing the pain and fear all over again for the ten-thousandth time.
After his stories were told and he had paid for his beer (quite a bit of it too), he seemed like he couldn't get out of there fast enough. He picked up his cases and bolted for the door ... hardly a goodbye.
I felt so sad after he had left. There have been so many men (and women now too) who have given "some" or "all" for the cause of freedom. Vietnam may have been a horribly waged conflict, but the bravery and honor that the fighters displayed is beyond question. However, the experiences that they had over there have left scars that are critical. The friends whom they saw die in front of their eyes, the injuries they incurred while fighting, the heinous deaths of innocent men, women and children, are viewed in their mind's eye over and over again. And now, many of them find themselves alone in this world, forsaken by their families, friends and country. They self-medicate with booze, tobacco, and women. They search for a salve for their wounds, but don't know where to find it. They reach out to people standing with them in checkout lines because they don't have anyone else to talk to.
It is very important that we reach out to the veterans among us ... to let them know that we appreciate their sacrifice and to give them directions to the Great Physician. I cannot empathize with those who have seen horror and death, but I can give healing through the news of the forgiveness of God. The washing and regeneration of baptism, the beginning of a new life that is pure and free from guilt, is the only thing that can bring about healing to their wounds. After being left behind by family and friends, who but the church is there to hold them up and give them reason to live?
We live in a fallen world. When Adam and Eve took the fruit in the garden, they tipped over the first domino in the chain of death and destruction that sin engineers. War is a natural outgrowth of a fallen world, and those that choose to fight for the freedoms, rights and privileges of others are standing up to evil. They don't necessarily always stand up in a completely righteous way, but they still postpone the utter chaos that Satan wishes to unleash. The problem that they face is that they have no universal, unquestioned reason for the things that they do/have done. The big picture is the view which so many of these tortured individuals lack. They, along with all other people without God, have to see what is truly important in life ... love.
"Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Some gave all, but all gave some. Out of love, for their families, for their friends, for their principles, for their country, or even just for the buddy lying face-down in the mud next to them, they gave themselves. They gave, and continue to give, so that others might benefit. That is the definition of love ... that is the big picture of life ... that is the essence of grace ... that is the gospel in a nutshell. Who better to understand the love of God, than those who have mirrored it whether knowingly or unknowingly through their sacrifice?
Reach out to our veterans and heal them. Bind up the sick and injured. Bring back those who have strayed. Show them Christ and give back to them life!
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| Meeting My Match
Well, today I did something VERY STUPID! I'll tell you, but first let me give you a little background.
I've always been a fan of hot foods (most of you probably know that) and have been pretty proud of my ability to eat the fiery stuff that others don't eat. My sister and I are even a bit of an anomaly at Moe's in Little Rock, since we ask them to pile on the fresh diced jalapenos 'til people in line beside us start tearing up. I've always thought that if a salsa or meal is weak, its not really worth eating ... that is, until today. I met my match and have been paying for it all afternoon.
I went to "The Mean Pig" in Cabot, AR http://meanpig.com/home.htm today, along with several people that I work with. They kept mentioning a sauce there that was hot enough that they would give a t-shirt to anyone who was able to eat it. I rose to the challange with a fair amount of confidence. I ordered a beef brisket sandwich with the "Shut Up Sauce" and ten minutes later my uvula was straining to get out of my mouth. About 30 minutes later and my stomach was burning ... 45 minutes and my heart was thumping ... 1 hour and my hands were shaking, I was salivating and I'm pretty sure that I was seeing visions ... an hour and a half and my boss told me to go home. I will spare you any more details, but suffice it to say that my day has been rather tiring and gross.
I found out later that some people have had to go to the hospital after eating this stuff (I wouldn't have tried it had I known that) and others have curled up in a corner of the restaurant. So, long story short ... be humble. Be able to say no to things that can hurt you. And lastly, don't go to "The Mean Pig" (at least for the "Shut Up Sauce" or the "911 Sauce") ... it is not fun. | | |
| "... So Casually ..."
This morning I was struck by a particular phrase in a prayer. The guy who was leading the prayer said something that is indicative of our culture and the way our culture affects our worship (by the way, I realize that I may be nit-picking a bit here, and that the guy might have changed his words had he the opportunity to re-evaluate them). Here's a paraphrase of what he said:
... we thank you, Lord, that we can come before You so dirty, so sinful, and that we can stand in Your Presence, so casually ...
Now, I agree with the fact that we are "dirty" and "sinful" and that we have amazing access to the Father's Presence. It is an incredible blessing to come to Him, no matter what we've done, and be received and forgiven! But there is a problem when we start thinking that this is a "casual" thing.
God wants a close relationship with us, that is certain. He wouldn't have gone to such critical lengths to span the gulf that we created by our sin and rebellion. He wouldn't have given us the invitation to come to Him when "weary and burdened" to receive "rest". He wouldn't have given us the avenue of prayer if He didn't want to hear from us.
But when we come to God ... we bow as we enter His throneroom. Instead of being "casual" about our entrance, we laud Him, praise Him, and worship Him for who He is! I keep having a scene flash through my mind of a throneroom from days of yore. Imagine the throne as the focal point of the room, all things and people in the room are meant to display the majesty of the one filling the chair and deflect attention to him. The rich, thick carpet running from the entrance to the throne mirrors the purple tapestries hanging from the soaring rafters and rock-hewn walls, gilded in gold. The majesty of the place makes you feel small, rather insignificant. Your clothes, in comparison to the wealth around you, are drab, torn, and hanging limply from your tried and tested body. Hardly a place to come in "casually". Hardly a time to walk right up to the King, slap him on the back, sit down and throw your feet up. Rather, you would come in meekly, humbly, and only when given leave to do so.
Good news: we HAVE been given leave to enter the throneroom of the King of Kings. We have been given an open invitation to come to Him with our every ache and pain, every worry and burden, every praise and exultation. But we do so with respect, with a solemnity for the occasion - not necessarily sadness or discomfort - but an understanding of God's majesty.
Another thing that keeps coming to mind are a couple of lines from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. C.S. Lewis writes this about Aslan (the Messianic Lion and Son of the Great Emperor Beyond the Sea): "He is not a tame Lion." and "Safe? Of course He's not safe! But, He's good." Those two quotes sum up the way we should view God. We should fear Him, we should respect Him, and we should trust Him ... but we should NEVER take Him and His hospitality for granted!
Let us overcome our cultural tendency to make things "casual". Let us keep the mysterious, mysterious. Let us keep the holy, holy. Let us keep the sacred, sacred. Let us still "approach the throne of grace with confidence" but with respect for the occasion "so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." | | |
| Thank You For Your Prayers
Thank you (all of you) for your prayers on my behalf. I still haven't found out about everything that is going on. But I DO know that I should be cleared to fly again. I'm going to have to wait on a waiver from the MAJCOM (Major Command). So, as you read this, a package on my behalf is being sent up the chain of command to clear me for continued flying. Lord willing, within a month I'll be back on the flightline and finishing up training here in Little Rock.
Everything that is going on with me (health-wise) appears to be stable, but there is still a chance of some very serious problems. Please continue to pray for me. I will try to keep you updated.
Thanks again! | | |
| Prayer Request
I'm having some semi-serious health problems right now and would appreciate your prayers. Please pray that God's plan for my life will be established and that He will be glorified no matter what happens. Thank you. | | |
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