Remembering Stan Consley - Chapter 2

This is the second part of a previous post that I started.  Read part 1 here: Remembering Stan Consley- Chapter 1 (Revised and Updated)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."  (Psalm 23:4)

Chapter Two

A Divine Friendship

Having arrived on station at Moody AFB, Georgia in August of 1989, I met my future wife soon thereafter.  It was love at first sight for me, and though it may have taken her a bit longer to realize that I was her man, our courtship lasted for only 10 months before we married in November 1990.  It was during a game night with friends that I presented her with a ring and asked for her hand in marriage.  I had returned recently from a long deployment to Germany and we both realized that we never wanted to be apart again.  Thankfully, she accepted my request to be my bride and we set our date for the Spring of 1991.  Unknown to us, our date would quickly change.

As I eluded to in the first chapter of this story, I received a phone call one day that changed everything.  After hanging up the phone with my supervisor, I turned to my new fiance to tell her the bad news.  She took it about as well as I did.  We were both sick to our stomachs.  Though the details about my departure date were a bit sketchy at the time, I was told that it was likely that we would be deploying somewhere in the neighborhood of December 1-January 1.  There was no timetable given as to when we would return home.  Given this news, over the next few days we started making changes to our wedding plans.  Those plans included a change in date from the Spring of 1991 to a much closer date of November 3, 1990.  We planned to have a simple backyard wedding and invite only immediate family and closest friends.  A larger, more conventional church wedding was planned for when I returned.  Skipping ahead, it's worth mentioning that we never had that planned church wedding when I returned, instead, we had it on our 10th anniversary as we renewed our vows!  Our two sons were my best men!

Shortly after we were married, I received some very important news that I was no longer going to the Persian Gulf on the first package as previously informed.  In fact, I was scheduled on package 2 which was to be the replacement for the first.  No timetable was given as to when our deployment would occur, but at least I knew I wouldn't be going in December or January.  Obviously, this was good news to us!  That news would be short-lived, however, as I was re-added to the first package a few weeks later.  But then, almost as fast as I was added, I was taken off again!!  Can you believe it?  Well, to be certain, we couldn't either!  Why all of the changes?  Why was I on again, off again?!  What was going on?!  The answers never came, but the reality is that I did eventually wind up on package two and I deployed in June of 1991.

Unknown to me at the time, God was arranging things in my life.  As I look back now, I am certain of that.  It was in March of 1991 that I felt God calling me into a relationship with Himself.  I must have sat through a month of Sundays listening to the Pastor's invitation to "come" before I surrendered my life to the Savior!  I was a broken man!  As I made my way to the altar, I knew I was lost.  I knew I would go to Hell if I died that very instant!  I knew that I needed the forgiveness that only Jesus could provide!  I began to weep almost uncontrollably as I saw myself and my sin in respect to who Jesus was and His righteousness!  But thanks to God, He met my need with grace!  He restored me!  And not only that, as my tears of brokenness turned to tears of joy, I noticed that my new bride had made her way to the altar with me.  She too felt God calling her!!  We both surrendered our lives that day!  It was a glorious day!

Even though I was a new Christian, I was still faced with the reality of deployment...WAR!  Somehow, my fears were not as great anymore though, and I was able to face that reality with a bit more confidence.  After all, I knew who held my future, and He still holds it to this very day!  I knew that God was in control!

While I didn't know it at the time, Stan Consley was going through a similar situation to me.  It was his unit that deployed with the first package, but he was left off and temporarily assigned to our unit to work.  I'm quite sure that he also questioned God as to what was going on.  Neither of us had answers, but God knew.  He was working things out for the good of those that love him...to those called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28)  Thus begins my relationship with Stan Consley.

Stay tuned for Chapter 3