Oh What a Feeling!
Why do we do things? What motivates us? What is our reward? I started my mission with the single Marine's Bible that I got for Sergeant Jacob Fuller when he was going to Iraq, when he was actually only a private. Later Jacob told us of how he used that Bible, when his unit became separated (sand storms) and he used it to lead his men in prayers and meditation in the field. Later, his Aunt Terry told me how he had shown them the Bible after he returned, safe and alive. Well used, well traveled, the Bible was roughed up, with sweat stains deeply embedded in the cover, the mysterious coppery colored corner, worn, slightly torn, obviously blood, and an unconfirmed story that it was from a marine Jacob gave his best last rites to on the battle field.
Shortly after, I went to meet the Marine recruiter, Sergeant Ocasio and I made a verbal commitment to him that I would provide 100 Marine's Bibles to him to give to his new marines. I asked him to be patient as I could buy only about five a month, and now and then, I would have a chance to buy a few more. I had decided I would give 100 to the marines and then I would purchase 100 for the soldiers who officed just next door, but a funny thing happened. One day, I stopped at Army Recruitment to leave five Marine's Bibles for the marines because no one was home at the Marines. The army, the soldier, let me leave them there for the marines and I slowly built a relationship with the soldiers, so instead of waiting until that 100 commitment was complete, I stretched and began to provide Bibles for both the soldiers and marines.
I kept a detailed record of how many Bibles I purchased, how many went to each branch, for by then I was giving them to every branch: The Marine's Bible, The Soldier's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Airman's Bible, The Coastguard Man's Bible (only one so far). When I began, I paid full list price for each Bible, which was then around $26.47. As Melvin, my supplier looked at how many Bibles we had purchased, by then several hundred, he volunteered a 10% discount to me, reducing our price to about $24.47, two dollars meaning for each five now, we could buy one more, a blessing to us, a benefit to one more marine, or soldier.
Melvin had a printing machine and would, without cost, print the name of its owner on the Bible, as he had done for me on my own Sailor's Bible (yes, I am an old sailor). The problem was that we did not know the name of the young man, or woman, who would be receiving the Bible and I almost said, "No, let's skip that." Well, I did say that, but then the idea struck me of imprinting them with the words "To a marine". And so, each one, unless we did know the name, was printed with "To a Marine" on the cover.
My detailed list was lost due to a virus sent to my computer which destroyed my files and photographs, a theft I personally see it, but I knew how many Bibles total we had given, so I just add to that last now and don't worry about the details.
People mean well, and they mean to say thank you, we all do, but almost all of us are guilty of just not getting it done, but I do get stories which say "Thank you", not directly, but from the sales clerks in Ruth's Christian Book Store, my supplier for the Holman Military Bibles.
Over time, our distribution process has changed and currently, we pay ahead for about twenty-five Bibles and try to keep them in stock in the bookstore, so a veteran or active military person just gets a surprise when they try to pay for the Bible, it's been paid for.
These are where the stories come in, where I receive my reward. The women who work there, Rhonda, Suzi, Paula, Rachel, Kerri, pass them on to me.
And some are so good that they leave me with a wonderful feeling of having accomplished some small thing, of having helped another human being, and oh! what a feeling it is.
Stephen Joe "Red Boots" Payne
