Hi,
Welcome back to another episode of the April Sings a Lot podcast.
This podcast is going to be sharing story and song and inviting you to sing along.
This is my story.
This is my song.
I was in the United States Navy as a singer.
And if you didn't know that was a job in the military,
You're not alone.
Even the recruiter,
When I went to apply for the job,
Didn't know that that was a job.
So the short story is I was about to graduate from college.
I was getting a vocal performance degree.
I knew I didn't want to teach and I knew I needed health care.
I went on Yahoo!
Jobs and looked for people who were hiring singers.
There was a cruise line that was hiring and the Navy had an opening for a vocalist.
I didn't have a car and the recruiting office was within walking distance.
So that made my decision to join the Navy.
I auditioned and it was a really fast-tracked process.
And I ended up graduating college and going to boot camp within three days.
Very quickly from not having any clue about the military to showing up at boot camp.
So you can imagine it was a challenge to get through those couple of months of training.
But while I was there,
The whole time I was thinking about this person who I honestly would not know if I saw him again today.
But it was a person that was sitting in front of me in my college graduation.
And overheard me talking to my friends about how I was joining the Navy and I was going to boot camp in a few days.
He turned around and he looked me up and down and said,
You'll never make it.
It turns out he was a Navy veteran and proud of it as we all are.
But he was pretty sure that I didn't have what it took.
And I thought about him every day of boot camp because I did not want him to be right.
I was determined because of that statement that I was going to prove him wrong.
So I've proved him wrong,
But I don't even know his name.
Obviously boot camp is difficult for a reason.
They want to make it so that it solidifies you with your fellow military members.
Like there's a reason it's hard because they want it to be something that galvanizes.
That's the word I keep thinking about.
That galvanizes you as like we made it through this thing that nobody else will ever understand.
And because of that,
Even though I don't know anything else about you,
If you are a military veteran,
You and I have something in common.
And I think that's what hard times are like in our lives.
Like it could be boot camp,
But it could be something else.
It could be any number of things that we encounter that are like,
I really don't know if I can make it through this.
And I would encourage you to say to yourself,
Yes,
I can.
I absolutely can.
And when I get through this,
I will not only have a story to tell,
But there will be other people who have also made it through this,
Who I will forever have something in common with and forever have like camaraderie with these people.
And so our song today is the Navy Hymn,
Eternal Father Strong to Save.
The words of this are so powerful and so encouraging and such a great reminder that no matter what.
God is saving you and his strength is enough to get you through this.
So grab hold and let's sing this together.
Eternal Father strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep,
Its own appointed limits keep.
O hear us when we cry to thee,
For those in peril on the sea.
O Trinity of love and power,
Still travelers guard in dangers of.
From rock and tempest,
Fire and foe,
Protect them from where they go.
Thus evermore shall rise to thee,
Glad praise from air and land and sea.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for singing.
And if you have any advice or any songs requests,
I'm open.
Like I said,
This summer is a singing experiment and I'd love to bring you along for not just the ride,
But if you want to come up in the passenger seat and participate as well,
I would love that.
