August 3 – “Chappy”

Well, the article came out in the paper today about the Galveston Fire Department’s new chaplain.  It was actually a very positive presentation about me, but more importantly it painted the department in a positive light.  I guess my new nickname is official now, though.  The chief who appointed me (Jeff Smith, who is now retired) called me “Chappy” before he left, and he was one of the main guys interviewed for the story, so the name is out there.  I like it, though.  Has quite the ring to it, don’t you think? 

We got some news from Cailyn while she was staying with us yesterday.  Not sure if her Mom and Dad are privy to it quite yet.  Seems that, in her words, “Next, next, next, next, next, week, when my Mommy and Daddy have lots of money, we are going to Disneyworld, and I’m gonna have breakfast with the princesses and everything.”  Now that’s going to be quite a trip, but I’m still trying to figure out exactly what those dates are.  How many “nexts” were included in that statement, anyway? 

She and Nani made a tent while she was here.  I was invited in for something very special because she needed my help.  There was a cuckoo bird who was in some severe trouble, and I was called in to help transport the bird into the tent hospital operating room.  We carried the imaginary animal in together.  It took both of us.  The bird was very heavy.  I asked what the problem was and why was it so serious that it required surgery.  The explanation was a bit technical.  You know how those medical people are.  But I did get this much: “The cuckoo bird ate a chicken and it has bones all in its tummy.  Lots of bones.  It ate lots of chickens.”  Well, I can imagine that it is hard to survive with that many chicken bones inside you.  And that certainly explained why it was so heavy.  She was a great teaching doctor, too.  She asked me what I thought she should do first, so I suggested making the incision to open it up.  She smiled and said, “That’s very good.”  It’s always great to be praised by your supervisor, isn’t it?  She made the cut and reached inside.  The first thing she pulled out was, interestingly enough, a wishbone.  I took one end and together we broke it.  She got the big side, so she won the wish.  She reached back in and there was another wishbone.  She won that one, too.  In all she pulled out seven different wishbones.  She won five out of seven of the contests, so I guess that makes her the Wishbone World Series champion. 

Psalms 103:19 says, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Father, thank you for the chance to be there for the fire fighters and their families.  Keep them safe.  Amen.