Transparent Steel

My wife is my brother-in-laws youngest sons Godmother. Five or six years ago, in Camp Legeune, he got pinned after completing the requirements to be a Crew Chief on a CH-53.

Between being only about a days drive (we were, by far, the closest family) and loving the young man, we went down to attend the ceremony. We were there for less than 24 hours, but that was enough to see him get pinned, take him out for dinner, moved him out of his quarters (three large duffel bags(I'm not complaining, but shouldn't the Marines have taken care of that)), and then took him to breakfast at IHOP on the way to the airport since his orders had him transferring to San Diego.

When we walked into IHOP, it was the same at every table: parents with a son with a military haircut. Well almost every table, near the middle of the restaurant, was a large steel ball, maybe 12 feet in diameter. Kinda strange. Even stranger was that I could see through it and in the middle of this large steel ball was a family, waiting for their breakfast to be served.

Deep in my gut, I knew that this large steel ball made the gimball bearings on the Apollo rockets look like marshmallows. I could feel its purity and strength from across the room. I stopped in my tracks and gawked. You would have too.

The father didn't like being gawked at and gave me a "what are you looking at look" and quickly caught up with [Wife] and [Marine]. When seated, I chose a seat where I could keep an eye on them. My antennas were up.

I was drawn into conversation at our table and lost track of the rest of the restaurant untill there was motion at the encapsulated table. A waitress was delivering their meals. I watched.

When the waitress left the family to their pancakes and waffles, they all bowed their heads and said grace. I then realized that what I saw earlier was God's protection around that family.

I am still humbled by that vision today.