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LISTEN NOW! The most powerful moment in our lives is when we realize that the presence of God is as important to us as the air we breathe. Often times, this reality comes when we first encounter the presence of the Lord, which radically changes our lives forever. Steve Kaliszewski had such an experience as this, and his life was never the same.
After serving two combat deployments in Marine Reconnaissance, Steve knew that his battle was just getting started as he transitioned out of military life and into the civilian world. Of all the training he had received leading up Fallujah, and time served in war itself, transitioning out of the military proved to be the hardest yet. Due to his contract, he only had a few weeks to make the adjustment from combat environments, to full-fledged civilian.
Unsure of how exactly to “begin again”, Steve began waiting tables as a server in a restaurant, as he did this prior to serving in the Marines. If transitioning out of the military were difficult enough, now he had to listen to people complain about their cell phone service and their television shows. He highlights how difficult this was for him, “I remember sitting on my couch in tears, for hours…”. He was doing all he could to control himself, and not hurt the people around him. On the verge of exploding, each and every day, he did all he could to hold it together. All of this stopped when a woman screamed at him because he forgot her ranch dressing. “I just snapped. In one moment, I saw myself punching her in the throat, killing her, and standing over her body….they don’t train you for that…I just shutdown”.
As Steve points out, “Jesus was THE LAST thing on my mind”. But, in this moment, he had used all his resources that he knew, and had no other option. “God, I don’t know where you are. I don’t know who you are. But if you don’t come down here and take this. I’m either gonna kill myself or I’m gonna kill somebody.” He continues to express how the God that he didn’t know, immediately responded. “It was like someone was standing on me, just got off. And, that scared me more than killing that lady, because I knew that was God.”
Reportedly, less than 1% of America’s population serves in our nation’s military. They lay down their lives rescuing those that needs rescuing, but who will rescue them? This is the very reason that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. We can call out to God and cry out to Him. This is when our lives truly begin. See the full conversation as Steve shares more about this impactful moment in his life, more about the importance of our nation’s military, the Church, and so much more. Also shared in this segment: Ranch dressing, war, deployments, patience, and waiting tables. Greg and Steve shared in this segment.
Shutterstock.com/EastVillage Images
Shutterstock.com/EastVillage Images
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