People We Meet

First, I should say that I've had a great Easter! I'm exhausted but I expected to be in far worse shape by this point, especially as our biggest church service went an hour longer than normal...aka nearly four hours from start to finish! But it was beautiful, uplifting, and particularly poignant as I looked around and realized how many people there had lost a loved one in recent memory. This isn't a theology blog, so won't spend a lot of time on the subject except to say that on Easter, we celebrate the ultimate rescue mission. Christ went to hell and back to rescue us and the people we love.

Other topics...

I must be mellowing, because I agreed today with a friend who remarked that true life is not found in political debate or the rise and fall of nations, but rather in our interactions with others. Yet merely being in another's presence isn't enough; we must see them for who they are rather than what they can do for us. How often do we do that? How often do we relegate even our most beloved to the role of servants of our needs?

Finally, I had the fun of sitting down with a SEAL hopeful to discuss strategies for qualifying. It was a good talk and I loved having that opportunity. While the USAF and Pararescue are my closest affiliation, I don't forget that this chapter of my life began with the story of Mike Monsoor. It's been an amazing journey, and today was a reminder of what a privilege I've been given. I get to have a small part in the preparation of some of our finest Americans. Sometimes that means cheering them along, and other times it means busting their tails and making sure they don't waste anybody's time in the wrong avenue of service, but either way it's an amazing experience. Thank you all for the part you play in that.

Well, my 2 AM revelry is starting to catch up with me, so I'd better close this off. A few of you owe me emails, so let's make it a great Monday!