Testimony, Part 8 - 1983

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do". -  Isaiah 55:8-11 CSB

I arrived at NATTC Memphis, TN the evening of January 1, 1983 to start the technical training, "A" School, for my assignment in the Navy. My time there was to be a wake-up call, more so than boot camp. Whereas in boot camp, all I had to do was stand still and do whatever I was ordered and the worst consequence for failure was a bunch of calestenics, at NATTC, I had to practice time management. I had freedom but I was responsible to complete the tasks I was assigned, namely, my studies. The consequence for failure at NATTC was "rocking out", as in being dropped like a rock. Those who rocked out were sent to the fleet as unrated. Basically, a "deck ape" consigned to menial tasks for the duration of one's enlistment with little hope of rising above E-3. Let's just say I would have been well served had I possessed more of a work ethic and not been content with putting in minimal effort. I did complete my training but I had my share of close calls. I graduated from "A" School as an Aviation Fire Control Technician.

From a military standpoint, that was my time at NATTC in a nutshell. However, from a spiritual standpoint, God was about to set me on a path which would define who I was to become.

Shortly after arriving at Memphis, I decided to pursue my goal of being baptized. Since I had attended a Lutheran church and didn't find them too fanatical, I sought out the Lutheran chaplain on base. I made an appointment to see him and asked him to baptize me. He said he would but I first needed to go through some counseling and complete a bit of course work. I figured ok, I should know what I'm getting into, but then the chaplain told me I needed to commit to coming to chapel every Sunday. I knew that was not a commitment I could make. I mean, Sunday is often the only day for me to catch up on my sleep. However, the chaplain insisted I make a commitment. I then asked, "What about going to church in town?" The chaplain said that wasn't a problem, I would just need to have the pastor send him a memo that I was attending. STOP RIGHT THERE. This was exactly the fanaticism I was looking to avoid. I ended our meeting as quickly as I could and went back to my barracks. Now, on the bulletin board in the barracks, a flyer was posted inviting all military personnel to attend Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. A bus would be at the main gate parking lot early each Sunday and personnel could ride to church for services then, have a HOME COOKED MEAL afterwards. I liked the idea of getting off the base for a day and well, what sailor can turn down a home cooked meal? 

The very Sunday after I told the chaplain I couldn't commit to attending chapel every Sunday, I drug my carcass out of the rack to meet the bus going to Bellevue Baptist. Now I was doing this with some trepidation because I knew these were those fanatical Southern Baptists I wanted to avoid but the lure of a good lunch was too much for me to resist. I boarded the bus for the half-hour ride to downtown Memphis. Soon, a guy named Randy sat down and introduced himself to me. Randy seemed alright, in fact, he reminded me a little bit of Brad. We began chatting and I decided to tell him about my meeting with the chaplain a few days earlier. Fearing Randy would yell, "AMEN!!!" at what the chaplain told me, I was blown away when he laughed. He said that although he'd like to see me each Sunday, he would never coerce me into coming. If I didn't show up for a couple weeks, he'd seek me out to make sure I was doing well but attending church needs to be of my free will. This made a lot of sense and it put me at ease.

Once we arrived at the church, we went to the College/Career group for Sunday School which I found to be cool. For their worship time, they sang some songs I was familiar with from my days with Young Life. I don't remember much else with this group because what happened next would alter my life and my walk with God.

At the time, Bellevue Baptist was pastored by Dr. Adrian Rogers. For my readers who aren't familiar with him, in addition to being pastor of Bellevue Baptist, he had served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention and was a conservative stalwart. Dr. Rogers was a gifted teacher and charismatic speaker, but most of all, he was passionate about teaching the Word of God and standing FIRM upon it. In that first service, when he got up to speak, I was amazed at what I heard. He was teaching directly from the Bible; I even remember he was teaching from the book of 2 Peter, part of a sermon series called, "Salty Saints in a Sick Society." He had the ability to link various scriptures together in a coherent message that touched my heart. This church was ALIVE! It was alive with the same Spirit that pervaded at Malibu. I HAD to come back for more. In less than a week, I went from not being able to commit to attending church every Sunday to WANTING to be there as often as possible, hearing the Word. Those seeds that began sprouting at Malibu but had become dormant were now growing again.

Getting into the Word through Dr. Rogers' teaching and through a Bible study at a servicemen's center just off the base was having a positive effect on me. Of course, being exposed to the Word means you'll invariably come up against issues you need to address in your life. For me, this was the issue of repentance. Up to this point, I saw repentance only as something zealous street preachers called sinners to do. I knew Christians lived differently than non-believers, but I had no idea that repentance was a necessary change of thought and attitude toward one's old way of living. I began to wonder if I was truly born again or if I was just into Christianity for the "fire insurance". This brought me to a week of intense struggle with whether I was a Christian or not. In March of 1983, in the back of a church van after services, I prayed to God, "Make me whatever You want me to be." I was finally surrendering my old way of living and becoming more responsive to the life God wanted me to live.

At this point, I would like to unpack the two professions of faith I've mentioned: The June 1981 profession at Camp Malibu and the March 1983 profession in Memphis, TN. At which point had I passed from death unto life? For a lot of years, I pointed to March 1983 as the point of conversion because, outwardly, my life changed radically. However, I have come to believe that it was in June 1981 the Holy Spirit took up residence in my life because of the way my eyes were opened at the time. Then, when I finally heard the Word of God, it made sense to me and I gladly received it. I'm sure I heard the Word before but it did not resonate with me the way it did in 1983 even before I fully surrendered to God's will in March. Really, it matters little which event was my conversion; The important thing is, that in both instances, God brought me to where I needed to be in His timing.

Now, I would be lying to my readers if I said after the March 1983 encounter with God, everything worked itself out neatly and I was always, as the old hymn says, "On the upward way, gaining new heights everyday..." I had a lot of old habits to overcome and a lot of surrendering to do, but I was now pointed in the right direction. 

Back at NATTC, I was wrapping up my "A" School training and preparing for transfer to my first assignment in the fleet. Of course, I was wanting to be stationed in Southern California, but when my orders came in, the yeoman said, "You're going to NAS Pensacola, Florida!" I looked at him and said, "Pensa-WHAT!?" Thus, begans another chapter in my walk with the Lord.