Moving experience......touched me down to my core

[wm]

I just spoke with a young man with whom I have a long standing relationship. I coached him from little league through high school baseball. He has had some rough spots as he has tried to find his way. He came tonight to ask me to pray with him. He enlisted today in the Marines he said because he has spent years thinking about the examples I used to illustrate selflessness, devotion to duty, honor, and surrendering yourself to a cause greater then yourself. He said he always wanted to be that man but with no men in his family to show him the way he sometimes lost his direction but he could always look to me and my sons to help him find his way back.

He told me he wants to do something to set a new path. He wants to tear down the old and build something new in himself once and for all......no half way measures.

So we prayed the Lords prayer.......it was the only thing that came to my mind......and then he said he wanted to read Psalm 144. He said he recalled me taking him and some other boys to a Memorial day service and this was read. He said it summed up things up for him.

Psalm 144
1 Praise be to the Lord my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.

2 He is my loving God and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues enemies before me.

3 Lord, what are human beings that you care for them,
mere mortals that you think of them?

4 They are like a breath;
their days are like a fleeting shadow.

5 Part your heavens, Lord, and come down;
touch the mountains, so that they smoke.

6 Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy;
shoot your arrows and rout them.

7 Reach down your hand from on high;
deliver me and rescue me
from the mighty waters,
from the hands of foreigners

8 whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.

9 I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

10 to the One who gives victory to kings,
who delivers his servant David.

11 From the deadly sword deliver me;
rescue me from the hands of foreigners
whose mouths are full of lies,
whose right hands are deceitful.

12 Then our sons in their youth
will be like well-nurtured plants,
and our daughters will be like pillars
carved to adorn a palace.

13 Our barns will be filled
with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields;

14 our oxen will draw heavy loads.
There will be no breaching of walls,
no going into captivity,
no cry of distress in our streets.

15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

[Grizz]

good post, thanks and prayersUp for the young man

[Dave]

Sounds like he is making some better decisions. He is very fortunate to have had you in his life. Good job.

[AJMD429]

It's wonderful to see folks 'change their ways' and become better citizens, etc.

In some ways I have deeper respect for those who've been on the 'dark side' and come out, as that's hard work. Those of us who've always been well-behaved have sometimes had it far easier.

[mikld]

15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Amen!

Excellent "coaching" wm...

[TedH]

He is a lucky young man to have had you as an influence in his life.

[Bloodhound]

Also praying for that man...God answers prayers...someone was praying for him before now and God sent you into his life. God is good!

[piller]

Good post. We need more young men in this world who see the right way, even if they have gone off the path. I don't have a problem with those who have been on the wrong path as long as they come back to the right path. Most of us have done something wrong in life. Continuing to do wrong is a problem. Prayers sent that this young man will be protected during his time as a Marine.

[Ysabel Kid]

He is a lucky young man to have had you as an influence in his life.

+1

Prayers up for you both!