JON'S RETIREMENT PRAYER

Kind and Gracious God,

We are gathered here today to acknowledge Your guidance and protection of a man and his family! 

Thank You for birthing Jon into a home where he would receive spiritual direction and a grounding in his faith!  Thank You for keeping him sensitive to these leadings throughout his life. 

As a young man, he decided to enter into a role with the United States Navy that would involve him in an adventurous life of challenges, developing leadership and significant influence.  You have watched over him, blessed him and protected him throughout these years of service. 

Also, as a young man, you brought along a young woman to be his helpmate.  Tracie and Jon have now walked together for nineteen years.  Their marriage has been blessed with two outstanding kids: Rylie and Coltin.  They have brought joy, delight, fun, and challenges to Jon and Tracie.  They are also treasured by two sets of adoring grandparents:  Warren and Cindy Kerstetter and Hal and Debbie Haire. 

This family’s journey has not always been easy.  The Navy’s responsibilities took Jon away for seven month periods numerous times in his early career.  This thrust Tracie into a role of dual parenting during these tours of duty.

One of those times away, the ceiling of their kitchen fell down.  With Jon away, Tracie had to make all of the arrangements for the repairs to be made.  It was stressful, but she is a very competent and capable person. 

She has supplemented Jon’s work all through the years by being a mentor to younger wives and girlfriends.  She has stood with Jon and has supported him every step of the way.

It was a challenge for Rylie and Coltin too!  Having to give up their daddy for these lengthy periods had to have been hard.  One of my favorite pictures is of the two of them standing on the shore of the Thames River – all dressed up to welcome their daddy home – while waving at him as his sub drew near to the Groton Base.  What a day!

They have grown through the many changes thrust upon them, including the move from the cold and northern influences of Groton to the warm and southern influences of Rockledge.  Such significant changes for young teens was a shock!  Yet they have learned to embrace their new home and have established themselves well in their new home!  The stable and consistent environment of a loving and caring mom and dad have seen them through it all!

We were also there a number of years ago when Jon was pinned – again on the Groton Base.  The kids and Tracie were central to this ceremony along with the men and women of Jon’s shop.  It was a special day!

We thank You, Lord, for always bringing him home!  We thank You for the deep devotion You have cultivated in him for his family!  I’ve seen his consistent expression of love for his wife and children over and over again, through kisses, hugs, and playful contact!  He is a great dad and husband, and Tracie is a wonderful mom and wife!

This family has been blessed.  The U.S. Navy has been blessed!  All those who have served under Jon’s command have been blessed.  His family has stood and watched all of this with pride! 

We all rejoice at this joyful occasion and the new opportunities that will follow this ceremony. 

Help Jon, O Lord, with the challenges of this change.  Twenty-two-plus years of wearing the uniform and fulfilling his responsibility is a long time.  The adjustments he will have to make will likely be uncomfortable.  Help him to make this transition with grace and to bring his excellent work ethic and passion to any new opportunities that may arise.

Once again, kind and loving Lord, we thank You for all that You have done to guide, protect, and provide for this family!  Although we honor Jon today for these years of service, we – at the same time – honor his family. 

May Jon’s strength, wisdom, experience and determination carry him into the new adventures before him.  Help him to continue to bless those he may work with.  May his future be secure and may he always be aware that You walk with him.

We entrust him and his family to You today, Sovereign God, and we lift our prayer to You in the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

A NAVY SEAL'S PRAYER

This story will require me to unpack some details.  I don't have daily encounters with Navy Seals.  My son, Travis, did when he was with us, but I rarely meet these guys.  I used to think they all looked alike;  that is, until we attended Travis' memorial service in Honolulu four years ago.  He worked with a seal team at the time and MANY attended the service and greeted us afterward.  Some were tall - others short.  Some were thick - others thin.  Some were bulky and muscular - others were lean and toned.  In this particular scenario, the thing they all had in common was that they respected and admired Travis Haire.  :-)

When Debbie and I arrived in Boston Friday to meet our son-in-law, Josh, he introduced us to his friend, Nicholas R.  Senior Chief Nic is a Navy Seal who is enthusiastic about life and passionate about supporting the families of our fallen heroes.  Our whole purpose for being in Boston was to be spectators at the Spartan Stadion at Fenway Park where both Josh and Nic would be running the 5K obstacle course along with 10,000 others!  By the way, Nic is the tall, thick, muscular type.  ;-)   Through our discussions with him, it became quickly apparent to us that Nic was a Christian - a strong one!

We enjoyed watching Josh and Nic on Saturday as they completed the race.  It was a cold day, but sunny.  Then, Josh had arranged for Tracie (our daughter and family), Jon, Rylie and Colton to come up in the evening to join us at a local steakhouse for a late supper.  Eating out raises major concerns for Coltin due to his extreme dairy/egg allergies.  Josh had cleared the location with Tracie who had contacted their corporate office regarding the handling of food for people with allergies.  She had been assured that he would receive a special menu and his food would be properly handled.

We arrived at the restaurant and were seated and served our beverages.  Our waitress was acquainted with Jon and Tracie's home area and a good relationship was established.  She was very patient with Coltin - who by-the-way was using his best 'eat-out' manners (he announced early that he had placed his cloth napkin on his lap)!  :-)  This was a steakhouse a good couple clicks above the kind that Debbie and I tend to frequent.  Very nice!  It took over an hour to get settled and place our orders.

When our drinks arrived, to our surprise, Nic called for our attention and proposed a toast to Veteran's Day dedicating it to Travis' memory and using an old Irish proverb as its form:

"There are good ships and wood ships, ships that sail the sea,          but the best ships are friendships, may they always be!"

Although we didn't realize it at the moment, our toast was overheard by those at tables near us...

Finally, the food was all served within a couple of minutes and we began to enjoy our amazing steaks and extras.

Then it happened!  I looked up and Coltin was in tears.  Jon and Tracie reacted like first-responders, leaping to his side!  I immediately bowed my head and began to pray in my whispered manner.  Debbie also began to pray.  Once or twice, I looked up to see how things were evolving.  I saw the Epi-pen in Tracie's hand.  She and Jon were having him drink some Benadryl.  I continued to pray.

That's when I heard it!  It was a strong voice crying out to Jesus for intervention for Coltin.  The voice asked for Jesus to protect him and to cover him with the Holy Spirit!  It was not a short prayer, but continued in stride with the prayers that Debbie and I were also offering.  I was so immersed in my own intercession that I can't tell you great details about the prayer I was hearing in the background.  Debbie told me later that it was Nic, who was seated at the end of the table right next to Coltin.  They had enjoyed several friendly exchanges during the course of the evening.

You know how this ended, right?  Coltin ended up - after a bit of time - being ok.  His Uncle Josh walked him to a nearby drug store and eventually brought him back with a bag of chips and a bag of jerky!  Obviously, those around us were aware that we had experienced a bit of a crisis - as were the restaurant managers.  Our waitress stood with tears streaming down her face during this episode.

We finished our meals as best we could (they were amazing).  When it came time to fold up and leave, our waitress informed us that the restaurant had extended a significant discount as an expression of their concern.  Then she went on to tell us that the people at a table near ours had overheard our toast and some of our dialogue.  Realizing that we had several military personnel at our table, they paid the rest of the bill.  Although we never saw our bill, I'm guessing that it was in the $300-$500 range!  Yet they never identified themselves!

There are generous people in this world who practice the biblical exhortation to not let the right hand know what the left hand is doing!  I was encouraged by their kindness!

I am also encouraged to know that there are bold, courageous, strong men and women of faith who populate our military!  Today, on this Veterans Day Weekend, I give thanks for two of these men:  Master Chief Jon Kerstetter and Senior Chief Nicholas R.  May God continue to bless them and use them for His sovereign purposes - and may God bless the United States of America and and allow us to continue to be an instrument of blessing to the world in His hand!

MEET MY SON-IN-LAW

Our daughter, Tracie, left home at the age of nineteen while we were living in Akron, Ohio.  It was a sad/happy day as she drove down Kickapoo Avenue in her blue Buick.  She had been a wonderful daughter and had blessed us over and over with her responsibility and fun-loving-ways!  

She was sixteen when we left Maryland in the fall of 1997, and moved back to Pennsylvania.  But, she didn't fight us regarding the decisions we were making.  I've always appreciated that in her.

But, at nineteen, she was ready to spread her wings!  She moved in with her best friend, Allison, and became Tom's third daughter for a few years.  Again, we've always been grateful to Tom Harding for opening his doors to her and giving her a safe launching pad!  

It was during this season of her life that she met Jon at the Montgomery County Fair.  Apparently, they connected pretty quickly and we started hearing more and more about this young man who had been raised on a beef farm in central Pennsylvania.  

It didn't seem like long before he was headed off to Great Lakes (shortly after 9/11) for his experiences at 'boot camp' with the United States Navy.  

Our first time to meet Jon was at a restaurant - without Tracie.  We were anxious about this odd arrangement;  he must have been anxious times ten!  

I confess that I was pretty hard on Jon.  I wrote him a series of about three letters to be very clear with him about how I expected him to treat my daughter.  One of those letters was just before he graduated from Great Lakes.  

At one point, Tracie told me that Jon was afraid of me.  I told her that was ok;  there would be a time when we would be friends - but it wasn't now.  :-)   He also told her - once they were engaged - that he'd never be able to sleep with her if I was in the house!  

They married on January 15, 2005.  Tracie had come home to live with us (in New Middletown) for over a year before the wedding.  She and her Mom had a great time planning the wedding and preparing for the big day!  

They immediately flew to Honolulu, Hawaii, not for their honeymoon, but to live!  He was assigned to a submarine and they resided there for a year and a half.  From there, he was assigned to Groton, Connecticut, where they have lived since.  

Rylie Grace came along in 2007, and Coltin Eugene entered the world in 2009.  

Jon's career performance has been exceptional.  He made 'Chief'' at a young age.  Last year, we drove all night to be able to see him pinned as Master Chief!  Now, he's the Chief of the Boat (COB) on a soon-to-be-christened submarine.  

When we first started visiting Jon and Tracie, I was a little concerned because Jon didn't seem to be taking the spiritual lead in his family.  We noticed that prayer didn't seem to have much of a place in their home.  So, I went home and began praying for him!  Every day, I called him out before the Lord, to become a godly man with a great passion for God.  

I'll never forget the first time that Jon prayed over a meal about a year later!  It was awesome.  He discovered a church that had been planted by a former Navy man.  They are still very active in REV Church and Jon is still close with Pastor Matt.  

Jon's spiritual transformation has been a delight to me.  It pours over into everything that he does.  But most of all, he is a great husband and dad!  He is affectionate with Tracie and the children.  He plays with them on the floor, works with them on their sports, reads with them, and gives them lots of hugs and kisses!

      

It seems to me that he excels in every area.  I am so proud of him!  And by-the-way, we have a great relationship now.  He pulls me more deeply into sports.  We talk about church.  We share resources.  I thoroughly enjoy being around him.  Besides, he grills and smokes meat better than anyone I know! Just two years ago, he fire-grilled a ton of chicken for my retirement party!  

I never worry about Rylie and Coltin!  I know that Jon is on the job.  He is an excellent provider, a fierce protector, and is generous with his time, his attention and his affection!  

On this Father's Day, I thank God, my Heavenly Father, for providing such a good man for Tracie, Rylie and Coltin!  You're the best, Jon!