The God who answers

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jarad A. Denton
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Ellsworth Air Force Base hosted the 2010 National Prayer luncheon Feb. 10 at the Dakota's Club.

The luncheon featured guest speaker Beth Eldridge, wife of Col. William Eldridge, 28th Operations Group commander, and centered on the theme, "the God who answers."

"Who am I to speak to this base about faith?" Mrs. Eldridge said as she addressed the crowd in attendance.

Mrs. Eldridge said she wrestled with why she had been asked to be the guest speaker at the luncheon before she came to a realization.

"It's not about me and it's not about you," she said. "It's about God."

A celebration of National Prayer has been in effect since President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the first Presidential Prayer breakfast in 1953. Since then, every president has attended their own prayer breakfast. The event has flowed into the culture on Ellsworth.

"Our goal is to inspire people to pray," said Chaplain (Capt.) Erik Tisher, 28th Bomb Wing protestant chaplain. "We pray for people, leaders and our nation."

Chaplain Tisher said he was honored when Mrs. Eldridge agreed to be the guest speaker for the luncheon and share her amazing story.

Mrs. Eldridge was asked to create a message, which would serve as an inspiration for people to pray.

She spoke to the luncheon crowd about her former military career, role as a key spouse, swim coach and life as a competitive swimmer, who currently holds more than 30 swim records in four states. Mrs. Eldridge also discussed how her faith was strengthened through her friends and family when she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.

"God has blessed me with incredible friends and family," she said. "But, having a sense of humor through the fire is key."

Mrs. Eldridge said she continued to train as a swimmer and was sustained through her radiation therapy sessions by an amazing support network that never stopped believing she would recover. She said she felt like people from all over the world were cheering for her, it helped her recognized what she called the "little miracles surrounding the big one."

The big miracle came when she was supposed to see a neurologist from Johns Hopkins Medicine. Her doctor in South Dakota refused to let her make the trip. When she asked why, he explained her test results indicated she no longer had a tumor. The only evidence there had ever been one was the scars from an initial surgery.

"He told me I was 'an unbelievable anomaly that factually existed,'" she said.

Mrs. Eldridge has taken her new lease on life and channeled it into her work as a swim coach and key spouse at Ellsworth. She said it was time for her to give back to the sport of swimming, as well as help military spouses any way she could.

She encouraged everyone to continue trusting in God and believing in good things.

"Whatever you are going through is temporary," she said. "Keep the faith."

Mrs. Eldridge concluded her message to the luncheon crowd by asking again who she was to speak about faith to the Ellsworth community.

"Who am I?" she asked. "I'm a girl with a big God who still makes big miracles happen, so who am I to get in the way?"