Storms at sea

I'm back! Finally it's over!! There were so many times on that patrol that I was reaaaally stretched to my limit. Thank you Jesus for getting me through those tough times. When I was cold, tired, and about to break down: He sustained. We were able to save more than 20 lives over the course of this last patrol! It seemed like the search and rescue cases came at the worst times, but that's just how it goes. I'm really glad to be back in sunny San Diego and I'm thankful. I'm thankful to be back because I need some spiritual TLC. This past patrol was a spiritual/physical/emotional battle. I went to our small church services every week onboard the ship, and I even played guitar for those services. However, I could see that I was not alone in this spiritual battle. About halfway through the patrol half of our regular church attenders stopped coming. I believe the difficulties experienced by my shipmates was due to the constant darkness and cold, stress, and lack of sleep during emergencies. Everyone, by the end of the patrol, was just so exhausted! It really frayed everyone's nerves. YET even in the darkest hours God worked miracles. At one point I thought I was falling apart with about 2 weeks left in the patrol. During the last church service of the patrol I really didn't feel like playing guitar played anyway. After my halfhearted worship one of the guys (who wasn't a Christian) said how he'd begun to talk to God and how my interactions with him had showed him that God is real! I was humbled by his words. I knew that it was God alone who had been working in his heart because it definitely was not grouchy Garlington who had touched his heart. I'm humbled and awed to think that even when I thought I was broken, God used that brokenness to bring this young man to Him. I thank God for His ability to work through weak, broken vessels like myself.