My beautiful wife and I made the long trip from Alaska to the lower 48 states for a little vacation time. We arrived in Idaho to visit the folks and friends, just in time for an elderly friend's funeral.
A funeral is one of my least favorite things to attend but closure and seeing the family and friends makes it well worth it.
My old Pastor was one of the speakers and spoke a short message that has had me thinking about it ever since. I'll share it as best as I can recall.
Pastor Norman Rutzen added up his dear friends days giving a total of about 33,000 days Gene had lived.
A lifetime can be summed up as a life or as certain days.
Out of 33,000 days Pastor's friend Gene took one day to make a phone call to his then high school buddy.
Norman had been targeting the military though his final years of high school taking prep classes in order to enter college as an ROTC giving him fast track to becoming an officer. His steps were pretty much planned out... until one day... Gene called him on the phone.
"Hey Norman," Gene said, "you need to pack your things and come to a Bible School your friend Jim and I are headed to."
Last thing Norman was thinking of doing.
Norman chewed it over and thought about it, deciding that he would give the Bible School a bit of a try because of his two friends.
Pastor Norman related how he had arrived at Bible school and something got ahold of him. As that school year progressed he realized that he was being Called into the ministry instead of a career of directing military battles.
Just One Day that Gene made a phone call changed forever the path of one of the greatest Pastors I have ever listened to.
I chewed that over for weeks. I have grown up under Pastor Rutzen's ministry, and can tell you, that changed my life.
We started a small church in Idaho and it grew steadily until a new larger one was built. That church filled in a hurry. Hundreds if not thousands of people were ministered to.
I know of four churches that this man has been responsible for pastoring or starting and through those churches mission works around the world have been supported.
The churches and the mission works have been entirely about saving lives and souls.
Now... the thoughts I have been chewing over...
I personally know how very intelligent Norman is. Had he become a military officer he would have quickly risen through the ranks... who knows how quickly or high. (My guess would be near the top)
I did a quick google search and found the United States involved conflicts (wars if you please) Norman would have been involved in.
Korean War 1950-1953
Cuba 1961
Vietnam war 1961-1973
Dominican Republic 1965
Lebanon 1982
Grenada 1983
Panama 1989
Gulf War (Kuwait and Iraq) 1991
Somalia 1993
Haiti 1994
Bosnia 1994-1995
Kosovo 1999
Afghanistan 2001-2014
Iraq War 2000-2010 and still policing at present
I look at that list and think of how many thousands and thousands of men (boys) who would have lost lives directly as a result of the command of Norman, be they our troops or the ones we attack.
I sit back in my chair almost stunned...
That one day Gene called Norman amounted to such a major change. It really didn't make a difference for Gene. He would have gone on and lived his life pretty much as he did, but that one phone call in that one day of 33,000 made such a difference for so many, many people.
Pastor Rutzen ended his funeral talk with the thought that we never know how important just one day can be in each of our lives.
How true that is.
Thank you, belated, Gene that you had the courage to pick up the phone and make at call in that one day of your high school life. That call effected so many people around the world in such a positive way.
