"I was there..
I watched as the soldier leaned over and whispered to his friends those words. The entire time the guest speaker (renowned baseball player Dave Drvecky), recounted his tales from Major League baseball, the young man had a twinkle in his eyes and an irrepressible smile across his face.
Here he was, wounded warrior, sitting feet away from his childhood hero, now a man with only one arm, a multi-million dollar pitcher who had lost his limb (and career) in the battle with cancer.
How could the child have imagined this day? How would the man have predicted their meeting?
"...before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us." 2 Cor 1:4
The verse for the Warrior Getaway is based on Ephesians 3:20 - God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask for or imagine. A child may wish they could make it to the dugout to shake hands with the players of the game, but they could not imagine the future meeting that took place this day.
A young man goes off to war and returns home severely injured. He endures multiple surgeries, months that turn to years of treatments and physical therapies. He hears about a place where the wounded can have fun, fellowship, and a break from the routine of appointments and military roll calls. He brings his family. And one morning he sits across from a larger-than-life pitcher he saw play in a legendary game.
Moments like these, only a Creator could orchestrate!
And then we all shared in an impromptu surprise wedding that took place in the midst of our BBQ dinner. One of the returning soldiers brought her newly married 24 year old son and his bride. When I say "newly" I mean the day before. A small civil ceremony took place since the young man is about to be deployed to Afghanistan.
There just happened to be a wedding dress hidden in the "Imagination Station" costumes and the groom was tricked into wearing a referee shirt for the "black and white" effect of a pseudo tuxedo. I coordinated along with another co-conspiritor from the Joni and Friends Pennsylvania office and a wedding cake was purchased from the local Walmart. Soon, we enlisted flower girls, and commandeered a golf cart to decorate replete with tin cans and a chauffeur in a fuschia Hawaiian shirt and floral hat. Of course the army chaplain officiated while the rest of us celebrated.
Other than the traditional cake smashing, all else was about as unconventional as it could get. What a story they have to share with their future children! Baseball hero Dave Drvecky was at their wedding.
"Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're willing to endure the hard times as enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it." 2 Cor 1:7
Feasting after the marriage supper
The Lamb was in attendance
Charlynn
Pray for Dave Drvecky's speaking tomorrow morning as he presents to Good News - life is not over no matter what you have lost
Pray for the volunteers and staff for renewed energy and refreshment
Pray for families to be refreshed
Pray for the teenagers to hear the love of Christ
Pray for the breakout sessions to be times of healing the unseen wounds
Praise God for our freedom!
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