Listening often includes a period of waiting

On Thursday, June 21, I received word that I will not be invited to the Chaplain review board (actually the Chaplain Accession Retention Evaluation (CARE) Board) next Thursday in Washington, D.C. I would have to wait until next month at least. My recruiter, Lt. Mike Maher, and I have been working together since February to get the application information together (transcripts, resume, references, recommendations, etc.) He has been very helpful.

This is not so bad. I just wanted to get this done and hear whether I am accepted or not. This is always the thing with trying to follow God’s will – you have to be patient with the unknowing. Thus far in my journey with God, when I think I start to hear Him calling me to something,  I begin to pursue it and then I encounter periods of waiting… waiting to be accepted into seminary, for example. I take a step in a certain direction not knowing if this direction will pan out or if it will end at a closed door.

I know that when one door closes, it is because God has something better in store, but come on, sometimes I just want to be able to see what will happen in the future!

Right now, I am in this period of applying to the Navy and planning to wait another year until my bishop releases me to the Navy  (or more correctly to the Archdiocese of Military Services (AMS) www.milarch.org )  in July 2013.  Then I will go off for five weeks of Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, RI to learn how to be a Naval Officer and then it’s off to 7 weeks of Navy Chaplain School at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. That’s the plan in my head right now. Of course, I once thought I’d be married by age 25. ;)

I assume that I will be accepted by the Navy. I think I am a good candidate. My recruiter actually said that he thought I am an excellent candidate. However, I never like to get my expectations up too high in case something goes wrong.

At this point, you may be asking, “Why do you want to be a Navy Chaplain? You are already a priest!”

Well, maybe I should tell you my story so far…