Like No Place on Earth

A man walks in to a BBQ, sits down and takes off his leg and says to a pirate, "Hey, Chaplain, what do you think of my new Harley?"

Two angels were at the same BBQ. One looks over and says, "Honey your halo is crooked - let me fix that for you."

At the next table a man with hearts on his eyes adjusted the camouflage wings of a warrior angel.

Elvis posed on a haystack in the center of the room with a Renaissance man who was his daughter and his quarterback son who was dressed as a princess.

It was a place where superstars posed with superheroes.

The dish didn’t run away with the spoon, but a princess did enjoy her corn on the cob!

Walt Disney doesn’t have the monopoly on a place that is “like no place on earth.” For the past few days, a golf resort near San Antonio, Texas was like nothing you could ever imagine. I know I couldn’t have imagined any of the scenes above even though this was the fourth such event for Wounded Warriors and their families. It fell over a weekend that is known for its goblins and ghouls, tricks and treats, and clocks that turned back time! I heard more than one child sadly express they did not want to participate because it would mean they would miss the door-to-door tradition. They couldn’t have imagined there would be nothing missed and everything gained.

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It’s a world of hopes; it’s a world of fear*

Our team of volunteers had many opportunities to laugh with the soldiers and their families. They helped kids catch fish (some ten feet long!) and make it to the top of a mountain (a rock climbing wall) to ring the bell. There were times of tears as spouses shared the heartbreak of neglect by the government, and overwhelming relief knowing their loved one had survived. Hope (in the joy of Christ) was shared by Dale Witwer (http://www.joniandfriendsradio.org/listen-now/2009/1/30/witwer-family/ ) our inspirational speaker for the weekend; and he openly spoke of the fear he felt at 14 years old, the night he was shot in the head.

There’s so much that we share
That its time we're aware
It’s a small world after all

When the children and parents walked into the “Joy Station” and realized they could come in and dress up anytime they wanted to, their grins reached from ear to ear! Grown men and women who had fought the enemy valiantly for our freedom, were now in a place where they had freedom to don silly hats and wigs and smile like there was no tomorrow.
Yesterday, after the praise and worship service, there was an opportunity for families to voice what the Wounded Warrior Getaway meant to them. One spouse got up and shared what she had written to express her and her family’s gratitude. She apologized for reading it, but said, “I wanted to be sure not to forget anything.” She mentioned the quote engraved in stone at the Center for the Intrepid (the rehabilitation facility at Brooke Army Medical Center) from Marine Staff Sgt. Dan Clay (killed in action in Fallujah in 2005):
“I know what honor is. It has been an honor to protect and serve all of you. I faced death with the secure knowledge that you would not have to. Never Falter. Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who had the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting.”

It was a world of tears in the audience when she expressed we (the volunteers and those who make the getaway possible) are the ones worth protecting! She is a devout Christian woman; one who has lived through the trials of a wounded soldier and come out the other side. She went on to say, how the quote reminds her of Christ who didn’t hesitate to die, and He found us worthy of protecting.

It was a world of hope, when one of the soldiers just as he was preparing to leave the center, came up to a volunteer. He said, “I didn’t get a chance to talk with you very much but I want to thank you for making this a great weekend.” Then he lifted up his shirt, revealing a chest covered in scars from an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast. He turned around to show the 18” incision where the surgeons had repaired his internal organs. As he lowered his shirt and turned to face her, he smiled, “I wanted you to see I am okay.”

“Heal the wound but leave the scar, a reminder of how merciful You are. I am broken, torn apart. Take the pieces of this heart, and heal the wound but leave the scar.”**

For a few days, somewhere off the GPS systems of Garmins and governments, a place down south was like no place on earth. In fact, I am sure everyone who attended would agree, it was in fact a piece of heaven on earth.

Thank you for participating in prayer to keep those who have protected us – protected.

Looking up for the answers
From a kneeling position


* Lyrics: It’s a Small World
** Lyrics: Heal the Wound by Point of Grace