Postscript: My Retirement Day
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).
Today I ended a 29 year career, starting with the Port Everglades Fire Fighters and then migrating to the Broward County Fire Fighters and now a part of the larger family of BSO Fire Rescue. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the best of the best.
There are some of you with whom I've been through major scenes, both in the heat of fire as well as in various other responses as we were called to save lives and property. There are some of us who have burned together and who have bled together. There have been times when we risked our health, our well-being, and even our lives for one another. There is a bond forged in such experiences that goes far beyond the norm in human relations.
My own reflections on this career have been colored by the fact that there was once One who sacrificed His own life for me, dying in my place. Such a sacrifice cannot be forgotten. His name is Jesus Christ -- in a very real way, I consider Him to be the ultimate in Fire Rescue. He both is my Lord and my Savior. My Rescuer.
We regularly conduct emergency preplans of how we are going to react to catastrophic situations. This life is only temporary and that we are only practicing and preparing for eternity. It is only the fool who does not prepare for the inevitable, so I hope that each of my brothers and sisters will use the same sort of due care in their own personal lives that they typically take on the job.
I don't like to come across as "preachy" and Christianity is not about trying to show oneself as being better than everyone else. To the contrary, a Christian is, by definition, one who has come to the realization that he will never be able to measure up to that which he ought to be. Hence the need for a Savior. One who gave Himself on my behalf, that I might find real acceptance.
I take a great delight in introducing friends to friends. When you find a rich, personal friendship, it is only natural to want to share that with others. If this has caught your interest and you would like to discuss it further, drop me a line.
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