The firefighters from Bryan who spent
several months here in Galveston after being severely burned were back in town
yesterday with several of their chiefs.
They brought down some challenge coins for the Galveston department.
Challenge coins are souvenirs a little bigger than a silver dollar that
commemorate key events or designate department uniquenesses. I think the idea is a really good one. It has apparently been around for years. The Galveston chief has quite a collection of
them. One of the Galveston guys showed
me one the other day that commemorated their service during Hurricane Ike. It had the satellite image of the hurricane
in the Gulf on it. The one the Bryan
guys brought had the Galveston department logo and one side and the Bryan
department logo on the other, each surrounded by the words, “Two Departments,
One Brotherhood.” They did some short
speeches thanking Galveston again and again for the help they were to the fire
fighters and their families while they were on the island. Then Chief Wisko asked me to bless them
all. I prayed a quick prayer, and then
we went outside for a photo op. Everyone
gathered by the side of the ladder truck.
Fifteen or twenty Galveston fire fighters were there, so it was a really
good showing. The city public
information officer took the picture, so it may be in the paper before
long. If it is, I want to know who buys
the ice cream?
After the photos, a group of us went over
to Mario’s on 61st Street for their lunch buffet. I sat next to the injured guys, so I had a
chance to talk to them a little bit. We
connected when we realized that we were taking some of the same nerve pain
medication. Interesting thing to find in
common with someone, I know. But severe
injuries and old age make for some strange bedfellows.
Psalms 104:34 says, “May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.”
Father, those Bryan guys are looking really
good after all they have been through.
Keep healing them and walking with them. Amen.
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