[We want to share a post from a dear friend of ours, Bob Reed. We have all been through a lot over the last couple of years; we thought Bob’s reflections were encouraging and inspirational. We hope you enjoy it! We hope to pick up our blogposts again soon!]
Thinking back recently, I relived the past. I remembered a short few years while growing up in Austin and how mom and dad, teachers, classmates, Boy Scouts, church and the Navy shaped my life.
Parents and adults, remember how important this is. Let’s make every effort to use this as an example. Through very hard times my awesome brother, Danny and I were taught by our loving mom and dad, school teachers, Boy Scouts and church to be thankful, patient, keep a good attitude and to love and help others. Mom taught us the value of believing and trusting in God. Dad during very hard financial times held down 2 jobs, but always took time for us. They both opened our home and dad’s small wood working shop to the neighborhood. They reached out to the neighborhood kids, my brother and I, teaching the many skills we needed in life and the meaning of love and respect for one another. From this example of love, my brother, many others and myself have been blessed beyond measure.
I am Robert Reed. This is a story how faith, trust, perseverance and a positive attitude can change our lives.
I can’t remember not knowing Jesus and have been blessed so very much because He was in my life. He will protect and open doors for us. However we may be tested. We need to be patient, keep Christ and joy in our heart and not give up.
In the 1950’s all healthy males at that time were required to serve in the military. A friend, Roland Rivera a high school classmate in my junior year convinced me how it made since to join the Navy Reserve to avoid draft after graduating. It required approval of my parents. I joined. We met once a week at the Navy Reserve on Barton Springs Road.
After high scool graduation, I was placed as a Radarman on the USS Canberra, a guided Missile Cruiser in Norfolk, Virginia. It was selected by the President to sail around the world in 8 months to 30 countries on a people to people world cruise to bring our world closer together in friendship.
Radarmen worked in a 60-degree area because the electronic equipment required it. I was barely settled in and told by my officers that new sailors had to serve 3 months mess-cooking duties. I thought working in the kitchen couldn’t be that hard. Wrong! The Canberra had around 1600 men. Meals for the enlisted men were served on 2 sides of the ship around the serving kitchen. At the end of one of those sides, I was given the 90 day job by myself of washing dishes 3 meals a day 7 days a week for around 600 sailors and help clean up the area afterwards. The scullery was very hot, tiny, no windows and not air-conditioned. I don’t like heat. However I attempted to keep a good attitude and thinking it doesn’t get worse than this. Wrong.
Starting the world cruise, we headed South on a wonderfully cool snowy day in Norfolk towards the Caribbean. As the days passed the hot alkaline soap I used to brush each tray ate into my hands. I still attempted to stay joyful thinking it can’t get worse. Wrong!
As we sailed farther South closer and closer to the Equator on the way to the Panama Canal, it got hotter and hotter. Remember, I don’t like heat. My hands were really suffering from the hot alkaline soapy water and were starting to bleed around the fingernails. Working in the scullery was such a miserable experience. Again, attempting to stay joyful, I thought this was as bad as it gets. Wrong!
We hit a major storm. Our massive ship over 2 football fields long and about as wide as a football field is wide, started rocking heavily. Hot soapy alkaline water mixed with nasty food was sloshing out of the scullery and all over me along with the heat. Wow! I thought, could it ever get worse than this? No, it just can’t! Wrong again!
As the major storm increased and the ship increased it’s pitching and rolling, much of the ships crew got very seasick. They started passing trays into the scullery filled with vomit. I had hot alkaline water mixed with vomit and really foul food all over me. It was also all over the slick floor. As the ship rocked back, I reached up and grabbed an overhead cold water pipe to keep from slipping down in it. As the ship leveled rocking the other way, I let go and very quickly washed and placed a tray in the conveyer belt for rinsing and grabbed the cold water pipe again as the ship rocked further towards the hot washer. In all this the Lord protected me. I did not get seasick or fall.
During this ordeal I started singing to cheer myself up. An officer came by and saw me singing. He told me that because of my attitude in such horrible conditions, that I no longer had to work there. Praise God, The Lord delivered and blessed me.
I returned to the Radar Section and eventually became a 3rd Class Petty Officer. I joined the ships choir. We sang at church services, special events and other countries we visited.
In this breathtaking experience of the world cruise, through both canals and 30 countries I saw God’s awesome creation in the beauty of His massive powerful oceans. The colors changing and going from glass smoothness to so rough and violent we tossed around, like a small fishing cork being jerked by a fish. It made us wonder if our huge steel ship would break into pieces. At times it rolled so severely we could step onto the wall (bulkhead) for a second or two. At other times we could sail for several days without seeing another ship on the sea or plane in the sky. I saw mountains, deserts, jungles and wild animals as we passed through the Canals.
Also we experienced the beautiful cultures in the many people of the world. I saw that children are the same loving and curious individuals everywhere until we corrupt them.
I also became aware of how blessed we are as Americans. I realized how precious our freedom was compared to other countries. A freedom many of us take for granted. A freedom created on and around God’s Holy Word. A price many Christian men and women have paid for with their lives, fortunes and sacred honor. Let’s do all we can to defend and preserve it.
Bob Reed
