"To a Marine"

When I purchase the bibles, from Living Word in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, they are enclosed inside of a cellophane wrapper inside of a nice cardboard box  The store imprints the cover with someone's name or whatever is wanted, as long as there is enough space.  For example, the Bible I bought for President Barrack Obama did not have adequate room for the "President Barack Obama" so we went with just "President Obama." 

The first time, when the young sales lady offered this, I declined, not because I did not think it was good, but because I did not know the name of the marine to whom the bible was going to be given. But I thought for a moment and then I had it imprinted with "To a Marine." All of them have been so imprinted, if I did not know the marine's name, with the exception of my own Sailor's Bible, which I bought several years ago.  I later asked them to print my name on it and since I bought it from them, they willingly did so. I bought a Sailor's Bible for my friend Jim Mosley and his name is imprinted.

Staff Sergeant Ocasio told me that he had given one of the bibles we had stocked to a new marine recruit who did not have much of a family support system and the young man held it in his hand, paused, looking at it, thankful for someone having given it to him, as though no one had ever given him anything.  He was awed, and thankful, and I was rewarded for I felt my small effort was worthwhile. There are many things to be done in the world and none of us can do all of them; each one of us can do something. It is a choice we make, what we do; it is a gift, what we can do. I am just fortunate that I can do this small thing. It is what I choose to do.

Stephen Joe Payne