Chaplain Bio
Chaplain Tom Panariello is a Navy veteran and served as an Aviation Electrician with Antisubmarine Warfare Squadron VS-38. During multiple WESTPAC deployments on board the USS Constellation, CV-64, he served as a flight deck troubleshooter for his squadron.
Upon leaving the Navy, Tom spent 40 years in the technology industry holding both engineering and managerial positions. During those 40 years he has also served bi-vocationally in various ministry roles. He is a graduate of DeVry University and Global University, Berean School of the Bible. Prior to retiring, he most recently served as Assistant Pastor at River of Life Church, Doylestown, PA overseeing Pastoral Care.
Get Back Up
All of us have faced challenges in our life. Whether it was external
circumstances or self inflicted we have all had disappointments. Bad choices,
false accusations, loss of direction, events out of our control are all
contributors to the challenges we face.
I remember many years ago when my three children were young we were a
one income household. The company I worked for for several years
unexpectantly sold the business and layed everyone off. The one thing I had
always dredded finally happened. I spent everyday sending out resume’s
making phone calls and searching for a new job. It took six months for me to
find a new job - almost to the day before my severance pay ran out. During
that time of significant challenge for me God developed in me a level of trust
that I had not known before. I committed to spending time every morning in
prayer and reading God’s word. Worry about job loss and not having enough
to pay my bills became a non issue as I committed to prioritizing my
relationship with Him (Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first the kingom of God and
His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you”).
No one is promised a problem free life. The issue is not whether or not we’ll
encounter problems, it’s how we respond to those problems. There’s an old
saying that goes, “you can’t keep a good man down.” This essentially is the
meaning of Proverbs 24:16 - “For though a righteous man falls seven times,
he rises again.” A person who trusts in the Lord and depends on God
throughout his life may trip and fall over and over again, but he won’t stay
down. He will overcome obstacles and challenges by God’s grace and
strength, dusting himself off and rising again.
The interesting thing about this verse is that you can’t fall unless you were
previously standing. You may have had a set back or two but the fact that
you’re standing today indicates that though you were knocked down you got
back up! The “seven times” referenced in this portion of scripture implies a
frequent number of failures rather than a literal count - recovery is always
possible through relying and trusting in God’s strength.
I’d like to encourage you today that although you may have fallen, dust
yourself off and get back up again. Commit yourself to the one who knows
what you’re going through and is there to help you get back up. Also, please
know, there is a Chaplain at DAV86 available to meet, talk or just grab a cup
of coffee with you.
Chaplain Tom Panariello