More Than Existing (ESV)

Be a Marine and get a Marine tattoo! Those were my two goals in life as I grew up. Raised in a patriotic home with a dad who had served as a Marine in the South Pacific during World War II, I regularly attended special celebrations to honor military veterans. The Marine Corps was an integral part of dad becoming the man he was. I wanted to be like him, so I enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school to pursue my dream.During my first year in the Corps I noticed something missing in my life. I always had to be looking forward to something like payday, the weekend, or going home to be with my girlfriend. I couldn’t get up and say, “Today is worth living. There is a purpose for me today.” This empty feeling increased when I was assigned to Iwakuni, Japan in 1971. The thought in my mind was, “Rich, you aren’t really living. All you’re doing is existing.” Shortly after arriving in Iwakuni I met a fellow Marine named Jerry who began telling me about Jesus. He showed me John 10:10 and the