Before the Wall

After church this morning I will travel to downtown Kansas City. It's supposed to rain and storm off-and-on all day, but I need to go to "Celebration at The Station". We've been twice in the seven years we've lived here...amazed how many people I meet who have lived here for decades and have never heard of it...or gone.

I don't think America is, or ever was, "God's country." It has problems too numerous to list...and getting worse.

But it beats the alternatives.

This year the largest traveling Vietnam "wall" is adjacent to Union Station. I will look at specific names there. To my brothers, I say "welcome home." To those who wonder about Vietnam and the conflict, feel free to ask my opinion.

But don't expect war stories. In my experience if you are ever around someone who claims to have been in combat (or prison, there are similarities), and who talks about what it was like a lot...watch their nose..it will probably grow.

I served four years in the Army. Enlisted right out of high school. Long before Jesus captured me.

Did a couple years in Korea...discovered kimchi! Was in Korea when the "Pueblo"  was snatched by the North Koreans. Never thought we'd sell those guys out. We did. Most reading this never heard of the incident...

From Korea to Germany. Was there when the Russians invaded Czechlosvakia. Sent my unit out to the Czech border several days before it happened. Did we have a hunch? Duh.

Then went to Vietnam (with the 11th Armored Cavalry) for the remainder of my enlistment. 

Army was a lot like prison. Learned a lot there; don't wanna go back.

But the dumb decisions I made after the military were not Vietnams fault...or the Armys fault...or even the devils fault.

The decisions were influenced by all those things, and more; but the decisions were not dictated by those things.

I made my choices, my choices made me. It's called personal responsibility.

The most disgusting phrase in English? "It's not my fault." Well, yeah, it is.

We may have a lot of "excuses," but to paraphrase a military saying, "Excuses are like elbows; everyone has a couple."

And our God did not send His Son to die for excuses, but for sins. "There is a way that seems right to a man..."

I'm thankful the Lord sent His Spirit to invade my life in a Texas jail cell in 1974...and that His mercies are new every morning.