Air Force Years (Luke 2:40)

The framed black and white photo was perched on my dresser. A young bride and groom, surrounded by their wedding party were posing. It was the wedding photo of my father and mother, taken over sixty years ago in Honolulu, Hawaii.  I smiled as I thought about the life that lay ahead of them. Within a few weeks, my father and mother would leave for a three-year deployment with the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Fukuoka, Japan. My father had graduated from dental school and availed of the Air Force’s plan to pay for his tuition, in return for his service. Commissioned as a Captain in the Air Force, he would soon be living on a military base with his young bride.

I have many photos of my parents, but I have none of their years in Japan, where I was born. My mother sometimes spoke of the years there as generally happy. My father enjoyed eating sushi every evening and gained weight. They purchased beautiful furniture, dishes, and artwork, many of which I now own after their passing. However, I never learned of their hopes and aspirations during these early years of their marriage. Why did they decide to return to Hawaii after his deployment with the Air Force was complete? When did they choose to have me, their first child? So many unanswered questions.

Like many children, I have many fond memories of my parents. However, it has always been a mystery to me why I know nearly nothing of these critical and formative years of their marriage. Rarely, did my parents let out a clue that all was not a blissful honeymoon. I suspect that something traumatic may have happened because 13 years after returning to Hawaii after I was born, they were divorced. It is conjecture since there were other significant stressors in their marriage. Most of my parent’s siblings have passed away. I may never know the answer.

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. 

Luke 2:40 (ESV)

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, lived on this Earth for thirty-three years. His public ministry in the last three years of His life is well documented in the Gospels. However, very little is known of his childhood and early adulthood. Dr. Luke provides one important insight. Jesus was filled with wisdom, given to Him by God, the Father. During these years, Jesus sought God’s wisdom. As a son who learned carpentry from his earthly father, Joseph, to a dutiful Jew who studied God’s Word, Jesus always allowed Himself to be led by God, His heavenly Father. 

I was very close to my parents but some events occurred early in their marriage, before I was born, of which I will probably never know. I can only guess, piecing together clues from their later years. With Jesus Christ, the Bible gives us an important insight into His early years. He was filled with God’s wisdom. His final years of public ministry, well-documented, are a beautiful example of life lived in perfect submission to God. It all began with His childhood and continued through His young adulthood.

God gives us enough information to learn to be like His Son, Jesus Christ. Won’t you accept His invitation to be a child of God by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.