Sabbath Messages | Sabbath Message: Aug. 8, 2004
Good Sabbath
August 8, 2004 "The earth is the Lord's and all its fullness,
The world and all that dwell within,
Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord
And who shall stand in His holy place?
He that has clean hands and a pure heart;
Who has not set his mind on what is false,
And has not sworn deceitfully."
(Psalm 24)
Like Bill Wade, the courageous, loyal and magnificent husband of Ann Wade
and father of children who will miss him as he is deployed to Iraq. Bill
is in love with his family, but he is the quintessential United States Marine
officer, training young men, protecting his command and country, the old-fashioned
dad whose love for country keeps us safe and strong.
I cannot write enough about the Wade family except that Fran and I have known
and loved them since their marriage, since their love affair began, and swelled
with pride at each of his promotions, then becoming a helicopter instructor
when the slightest eye deficiency cancelled his possibility of becoming a
jet pilot. I share with you, my friends,Bill Wade - strong, gentle with his
children, madly in love with Ann, his beautiful spouse; I know how he will
be missed and how he will miss them, for war is an awful phase of life and
absence becomes necessity and love becomes the reservoir of the fuel needed
to keep memory as substitute for presence.
Every Sunday, The San Diego Padre's baseball team, invites several hundred
Marines as their guests at home games. When they play the Marine anthem,
the crowd erupts in wonderful, sustained cheers, to make certain that these
young men and women realize how precious they are and how proud of them is
the city and the thousands of families who depend upon their duty and responsibility,
as boyhood disappears into manhood and youth must grow up so quickly.
"My soul I give unto His care,
Asleep, awake, for He is near,
And with my soul, my body too;
God is with Bill, as love conquers fear."
And Tom Carter's treatment has been working on the latest attack of Cancer,
and he feels better after so much pain as the doctor's feel that next steps
are in order for this fine gentleman and great citizen. Each of us, no matter
what age, travels the pathways of life, exploring possibilities and life
itself, searching for meaning, awaiting next challenge. Life itself is our
pathway come alive, where youth explores reality and maturity. Too often,
youth becomes survival, for mystery is the crux of mortality.
Now, during war, as the color guard marches smartly onto the baseball field,
so that we can stand at attention and sing our national anthem, watching
the Marines salute, filled with thoughts of departure and warfare - not a
movie - but as a main actor - our hearts join our minds in wishing them well
and thanking them for what they about to do.
This Sabbath allow your mind to seek them out and show them appreciation
for their sacrifices and love of Country.
sandy
