THERE IS A BLESS IN THIS MESS

What a great Fall National for the Chaplain. I was sick with sinus infection, a gut wrenching cough, and laryngitis the whole time. I stayed inside trying to get well for two days prior. It didn’t happen. Instead I found myself officiating BFer “Dead Head’s’ wedding rehearsal Friday night and the wedding Saturday night with only a raspy whisper painfully groaning from an inflamed throat.

Please don’t think I’m whining (for the benefit of you non-rednecks, the word means a wimpy complain usually uttered by a wimpy complainer). I only point out the mess to share the bless. When you are serving Jesus there is always a greater bless in the mess.

First, the wedding was never in danger. Gene Long was waiting out of sight, on my left, in the groom’s chamber. His drug store spectacles were in place watching for my nod. If my whisper failed, Gene would step out and continue where I pointed in the written ceremony. A tag team wedding you might say. Poor Dead Head did not have a chance with Gene and I teamed up.

The real bless in the mess for this chaplain was the spiritual hunger that so many of you expressed. This was the first National since the “Original Wild Ones” was released this past July. Most BoozeFighters read the “Closet Preacher” chapter and many wanted to talk about it. For many, faith and things spiritual had remained a taboo conversation. Reading about a BFer who just came out with it like it was both the most important thing in the world, and nothing to be ashamed of, seemed to encourage many others.

The stories were numerous and heart touching. One California brother shared how the chapter encouraged him with his on going cancer battle and his reawakened sense of what is important in life. Like most of us, he had gotten lost for a while. Another young prospect from Missouri told how his President instructed him to read our book and began to tell him the chaplain’s story. The prospect was moved to tell his Pres. that he had graduated from a Bible College and pursued the ministry and missions. Eventually he left the ministry but now has hopes of returning and serving as his chapter’s chaplain.

Part of the time, I kept my “In the Wind Ministries” associate Dave Phelps with me to help with the multiple bike and rider blessing requests. Seemed we couldn’t walk more than twenty yards in any direction before someone would request prayer or counsel on some spiritual issue. Sure was glad Dave still had his voice!

All too quickly, it is pushing midnight Saturday. I am sharing with Bill Haynes that only in eternity will he know the lives and destinations that would be changed by his decision to include the story of a washed up second chance preacher. Behind me, the “Xcess Whisky Band” is tight and rolling hard on “Highway to Hell”. The crowd loudly joins, “we’re all on the highway to hell”. Girls are shining the brass stripper pole with their bottoms. It is Special Ops time in the Kingdom of God. Maybe there is time to share once more; that “highway” is an option. At the crossroads, take the exit marked “grace” that leads to the cross, which intersects, with eternal life. It’s really close but you can miss it.