Yesterday we did the Protestant chapel service at Maine's largest VA hospital in Augusta.  My wife, Sue, our daughter Rose, who had turned 13 the day before, and I left for Augusta at 8:00 AM, and we enjoyed the uninterrupted family time in the car on the way there.  We have been doing chapel services at Togus since 1988, and it is always a blessing to share what we do with the men and women who have served in our armed forces.

The Protestant chaplain was new; there's actually been a lot of turn over in this role over the past six years or so.  He welcomed us and we were given the usual half hour for the 'sermon' portion of the service.  Rose was featured prominently in the show, doing a variety of juggling and magic routines.  The audience was appreciative and attentive to all we said and did.

Prior to our coming on, a lay minister did a variety of announcements and asked if anyone had a birthday in the past week.  At the same time I was asking Rose if she wanted me to announce her birthday from a day prior, I also noticed a bit of a smirk on the chaplain's face: I use 'smirk' in the most godly way!  I knew he knew of someone who had had a birthday recently.  We found out after the service that he had the same birthday as our daughter!

At the end of the service, a gentleman spoke up to say good-bye.  He has been coming to Togus not as a patient but as a local resident, but he was moving back to Germany.  He said he needed to come back one more time so his granddaughter could see the Supreme Court Jesters one more time. 

To say the least, I was humbled.