Flaco Guapo Media
SAN ANGELO – Who would have thought that Chad Williams, in his own words, a “teenage skateboard punk,” at that time in his young adulthood who had no inkling as to who he was, much less where he was headed, would become a member of one of the Navy's elite team--a SEAL. Chad didn’t even have any goals; as he put it “if you aim at nothing, you will probably hit it” was on a course to accomplishing exactly that.
At Thursday’s February 7, National Prayer Breakfast event, guest speaker, former Navy SEAL, Williams, not your stereotype SEAL (Sea, Air, & Land Teams), Alpha male warrior, delivered a powerful message. Chad moved his listeners as he was part motivational speaker, stand-up comic, minister of the gospel and a SEAL with his priorities in order: his faith in Christ, his family, service to his country as a Navy SEAL and a "friend who sticks closer than a brother" to his fellow SEAL comrades. Williams titled his message “How to Overcome Adversity" “You decide whether adversity is going to be a wing or a weight” A weight will bring you down or a wing will help you rise to overcome, said Williams.
Former Navy SEAL, Chad Williams is a best selling author of the book, "SEAL of God." Williams signed a book for San Angelo Fire Department Assistant Chief, Todd Sanford.
It was while in high school that Chad made a decision he wanted to become one of the members of the Navy’s elite SEAL team. He was able to make it into the SEAL training program because Navy SEAL, Scott Helvenston, introduced by Chad’s father, was asked to get him (Williams) to quit. Helvenstein didn’t really think Williams was going to make it as a SEAL either. So, he put him through a tortuous “beat the SEAL out of him” preview of what Chad would be facing if he decided to go through with signing up as a candidate.
After Williams won Helvenstein over by taking the beatdown, Scott eventually went from calling Chad “Bubba” to Junior.” To Chad this meant that he had won Helvenstein’s respect by not quitting. Williams’ later-to-be-mentor and friend, Scott, said “I know you are going to make it through Navy SEAL School.” Little did Williams know that later on March 31, 2004, his mentor was killed as the vehicle he and his other three SEAL brethren were in, was bombed.
While in Navy SEAL school (six-month training), Chad kept the memory of his fallen comrade, mentor and friend, close to his heart. He wrote Helvenstein’s name on the inside of his cap to honor him. Sure enough, just like Scott said, Williams graduated as a SEAL. From 173 men who entered the training only 13 made it, Chad being one of them.
As for Chad’s unique sense of deadpan humor, Williams told a story to the McNease attendees that on the day before Navy SEAL graduation, he was assigned a dog. Williams whose dog he named “Nacho” was given to him by superiors to torture and torment him and the others. “Nacho” would do this by keeping Chad up all night with whining, pooping and peeing.
As a Navy SEAL, Williams was trained to take life. “You have to take this dog that you love and with your bare hands, you have to break its neck.” When Williams said this, the audience gasped and couldn’t believe what he just said. With a slight pause for effect, Chad said “I’m just kidding with you guys!” All the attendees bursted out laughing because they didn’t even see it coming how he drew the attendees in so seriously to end it with a you just got “punked” warped sense of humor.
Toward the conclusion of his talk, Williams gave his testimony that for all his efforts to reach the ultimate mountaintop achievement, to become a Navy SEAL, he was still empty. There was something missing and no pinning of a “trident insignia” or anything else in life would fulfill that void in his life. Williams told the audience that he gave his heart to Jesus Christ who came and performed the greatest rescue mission for humanity by his death, burial and resurrection at the Cross of Calvary to redeem humanity back into a relationship with God. To Chad, Jesus became his “mentor, his best friend, his Savior and Lord.”
Chad heard the gospel (good) news of Jesus at a Greg Laurie evangelistic meeting. Laurie’s message of a “mighty man of valor” similar to today’s 21st century soldier, was about Naaman, who was a leper, a disease with no cure. Naaman’s story is found in the Old Testament, II King’s chapter five. Ironically his name means “pleasant; pleasantness" or even "beautiful; agreeable; delightful”
Juanita Brown, PTA member of Ladies of Justice by Legal Shield, was so excited to hear Williams speak that she also ended up buying his book, "SEAL of God." Williams autographed it and prayed for t-shirt that Juanita bought. The t-shirt had the scripture reference "Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for his friends," John 15:13.
Williams connected the dots, so to speak in that just as Naaman was in desperate need of being made new again and delivered from that disease, we humanity have a leperous (poisonous) disease called—sin. The only way we, humanity can be made whole, that is new again, agreeable, beautiful, is to accept the remedy for the “wages of sin.” That is through the acceptance of Jesus Christ who “became sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21.)
Williams then ministered with his concluding remarks on how to be saved. The way to accept Jesus Christ was to humble ourselves as Naaman did when he dipped himself in the Jordan River seven times. Not that we have to do a physical act such as go and dip ourselves in a river to be cleansed from sin. But to acknowledge our need for a Savior who cleaned us from all unrighteousness through his river of blood. And “who came to save us from our sins” (Matthew 1:21).