After
taking a hike with Beverly in Tullahoma, Tennessee this past spring, I realized that I
was getting to the point of having the heart but not the knees! My heart,
lungs, thighs, and calves were cooperating, except for any lactic acid spreading
throughout my quadriceps, not to mention a little tenderness in the soles of my
feet.
This
is not a description of a mid-life crisis; that was years ago, nor is it a
senior slipping into reality, “Get older or get over it!” My heart remains
strong, and I have always liked pushing the threshold of “You can’t do that!”
But at this point in my life, my jalopy of a body was pushing back on the knees
the younger my thinking got!
When
I think of now and back when I was going through special forces training at the
crazy age of nineteen, I am reminded how quickly life passes us by. 1971 was a
time without Christ, living on the edge, thinking I would live forever, being
resilient and indestructible, or so I thought. All candidates of BUD/S (Basic
Underwater Demolition/SEAL training at Coronado, CA) were told, “Your body can
do more than what your mind is telling you;” and that is true. If you listen to
your mind, you will quit prematurely.
Of
course, I was young then with an invincible body; so, it might be prudent to
listen to my mind and body on what my doctor friends are telling me now that I
am much older, and that my body is becoming more vocal in my life, wanting for
me to give it more attention as if rebelling against all those years of abuse
and neglect!
And
for all the psycho-babble out there today, this is not a byproduct of a life of
toxic masculinity! Elvis sang it right, “Love me gender!” The real toxicity is
in the ideas that are contrary to the teaching of scripture, like the nonsense
of gender-bender!
While a candidate of BUD/S (1971), the mind games were constant, and the physical demands were unrelenting. A 5% success rate of actually graduating was no joke. These instructors were not messing around. The chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean played havoc with the imagination and the body. Instructors were adroit in testing our resolve in executing the mission while being wet, fatigued, cold, and simply downright miserable. It came with the territory – “The only easy day was yesterday.”
On the surface that sounds reckless, medically speaking, but it was a mindset that was necessary to succeed and be a part of this elite fighting force. Our metabolic rate was considered to be 3-4 times that of normal. I never caught a sniffle during my stay at BUD/S. It takes will power not to wimp out under duress. Combat or simulated combat conditions is not a recreational activity, eh?
Rather than succumbing to some excuse, we rose up to meet the challenge set before us, or we can elect to ring that quitter’s bell in the compound at BUD/S. The rigors of training were not meant for the purpose of expressing a macho-mentality, but it had everything to do with cultivating a strong mental attitude under dangerous and stressful situations and completing the mission.
We
were called upon every single day, not verbally, to answer the question, “How
bad do you want this?” A “Do what it takes” person is what they highly desired.
Their culling process was clinical, to say the least. The training staff was, in
a sense, protecting their own future because it was very possible that they may
be fighting alongside some of these trainees in the future!
My
mind was preoccupied with becoming a Navy SEAL around the clock before coming
to know Yahweh as my Lord and Savior after military life. The only thing
keeping me from my objective was quitting or getting injured in the process. The
former was not an option, but the latter was a feared unknown variable. Staying
healthy was key for we did hazardous things. I can remember a warning be yelled
at us on occasion, “Stupid mistakes will get you killed.” I would always add,
“or others.”
This
was one of several sayings, I carried away after training. Actually, this
saying is applicable in civilian life as well, e.g., texting and driving will
get you or somebody else or both killed! There was another thing the
instructors utilized very effectively in testing our metal, the cold waters of
the Pacific. That was a great, indiscriminate leveler that flattened the
playing field. One of my instructors told me that there was this one class; I
don’t remember the class number (which is not based on a calendar) that
had no graduates!
Training
your mind to get comfortable being uncomfortable, particularly being wet and
cold so often, made a lasting impression on me. Even today, whenever I am wet
and cold, even if it is stepping out of the shower and I get chilled, my mind
immediately goes back to my time in BUD/S. If I am not careful, I slip into
uncontrollable shakes. There had been times when I was dry and my core
temperature had dropped, my mind would still take me back to BUD/S as if it was
only yesterday. WAC (wet and cold) and DAC (dry and cold) will never allow me
to forget the pleasures of BUD/S!
This school is not for the weak of heart for there had been BUD/S candidates who died while in training. I had never witnessed it during my time in school, only injuries, but apparently, it is a matter of record. I was told privately that I had graduated second in my class by one of my instructors, but to keep it to myself; he didn’t have to tell me that. I had no idea. I was happy just to graduate! The classmate who won the honor was from a prior class who had fallen off the forty-foot cargo net on the obstacle course and broke his wrist.
After his medical release, he was reassigned to our class, and he finished the course! That in and of itself was outstanding! I saluted my fellow candidate for his resolve, resilience, strength, and performance. Though there were rivalries within our class whenever we broke out into groups to be first; the last will always sorely pay! This was also pushed on an individual basis, the last would pay with a special love and attention...
In spite of the competitive nature, we were called upon to remember that we were all on the same team after all that was said and done. Everyone was expected to carry their own weight, but we were only as strong as our weakest link. We succeeded or failed as a unit, but peer pressure was full bore!
You
might be wondering, “Why is he talking about himself rather than Jesus? Well, it has absolutely nothing to do with trying
to impress anyone; that’s for sure. My wife can attest to that because I have never
used the laurels of being a former Navy SEAL as if I were something special;
I’m not, and I never saw myself in that way then or now. I was just an ordinary
guy doing an extraordinary thing.
Actually,
my wife would get on to me for acting as if I was ashamed of being a former
Navy SEAL! My reticence in the matter was not because of any embarrassment or
being ashamed; to the contrary, it was about a man in a different time long ago
who did not know Christ. That man is completely different now, a soldier of
Jesus Christ.
I
am honored and humbled by the thought of being a part of this “new” army; let
me tell you! In an attempt to justify my approach for this article, read what the
Apostle Paul had spoken about himself concerning his former times, of his unworthiness,
and the present time of promoting Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 15:9-10;
Php 1:21; 3:4-8; Gal 1:13-14; 2:20; Eph 3:7-8; 2 Cor 11:24-28).
I
used to beat myself up over feeling guilty for not pursuing and serving Yahweh
with the same intense commitment and singular focus to be a Navy SEAL, “All in,
all the time.” Often, I would ask God why am I unable to do this? There was
only silence. I knew that He knew the answer because God is all-knowing, yes!
My impression was that I was not ready for the answer to my own question?
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