Light In The Midst of Darkness

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little. Luke 7:47

The temperature was near 120 degrees; all of us were fully geared up with heavy body armor, helmets, and additional combat items. Those conditions would be enough to sap anyone’s energy, but the young medic in front of me also had a large, heavy medical aide bag to carry. It was mid-afternoon, there was no shade, and we had been out in the sun for a couple hours in an area where high vigilance was required. I noticed this Soldier seemed to be bending over and “resting” a little more with each passing minute. I went up, placed my hand on his shoulder and told him what an inspiration he was. I let him know how much I valued his service and willingness to take the extra burden in order to care for wounded Soldiers. I offered him a drink from the bottle of water I had and then told him to hang in there in these tough conditions and what a great job he was doing. It was all he needed; that word of encouragement and act of kindness brought a tired smile to his face. He stood up little straighter under the heavy burden of his protective gear, hiked up his aide bag, and began to check on the welfare of others.

Jesus understood how a little encouragement could make a big difference in someone’s life. The story that surrounds today’s Bible verse demonstrates the principle when Jesus not only recognizes the kind acts of the woman involved, but also uses her service as a teaching opportunity.

A little support by way of a kind word or gesture can go a long way towards helping another person. Are you an encourager? Try offering a kind word to someone today; you’ll be blessed and so will they.

And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2

I am on my way home for a two-week break. I am flying over the United States on an aircraft that is bringing a group of Soldiers back from Iraq for our mid-tour leave. I’m excited about being home for a little over two weeks, spending time with my family, attending a conference, and putting Iraq and the war behind me for a short time.

We flew out of an airfield in Baghdad. It took us a couple days to get out because of big dust storms, but early one morning I flew out of our area of operations. We marched out to the flight line toward a C-17 Globemaster that was sitting on the edge of the runway. There were about fifteen of us on this flight, a small number for such a big plane, and they had us load through the small front door usually used by the crew. Soldiers usually load the plane by going through the large rear entrance and up the cargo ramp.

But today we were not the primary mission of this flight. Inside the plane were seven neatly arranged coffins. Each one had a U.S. flag that was carefully draped over it. It was amazing how quiet it was as we crawled into our nylon-webbed seats. The Air Force crew was purposely and respectfully securing the coffins, and everyone felt a kinship as well as a sense of awe and reverence as we gazed at the stars and stripes of red, white, and blue and reflected on the men who lay underneath.

We landed at Kuwait International Airport where our brothers, six Army and one Marine, were offloaded. Everyone on board participated in a ceremony to honor the seven warriors who sacrificed their lives for a greater cause. I had the great privilege to offer a prayer for these brave warriors and their grieving families.

True freedom demands sacrifice. We are truly free because of Jesus’ sacrifice, and we are blessed beyond measure! May we use that freedom and blessing to share the love of God with a hurting world.

On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” Luke 22:40

The importance and power of prayer has often been reinforced during my extended time in Iraq and limited time in Afghanistan. I have experienced it in my own life and Soldiers have shared numerous stories about answered prayer in their lives. It is encouraging to hear accounts from men and women who have seen prayer have a positive impact on their life.

Recently, I wrote about a ground convoy trip to a Forward Operating Base (FOB). Today, in the Battle Update Brief, there was a report about this same FOB. The briefer reported a recent attack on the FOB that caused two deaths and six wounded. That FOB can be a dangerous place, and the route to get there is often hazardous as well. Add to that our convoy getting off track and ending up in some even more treacherous parts of Baghdad, and you have a recipe for disaster. We were in a very bad situation. Yet, despite some close calls, our trip concluded with no casualties.

Shortly after I made this trip, I wrote a letter describing our experience to some family and friends. A number of them wrote back, reinforcing their commitment of praying for me and our Soldiers. However, the best reply was during a phone call with my wife just a couple days after the incident. She said that during the time I was on the convoy, she was at home and had felt the need to do something unusual.

She prays for me regularly, but this day she felt compelled by God to get out of bed just after mid-night and fervently pray for several hours for my safety and wellbeing. This was the exact same time that my convoy was engaged in a very bad situation in Sadr City. Sadr City was the center of power for the insurgent Mahdi Army in Baghdad. We were in desperate need of prayer, and God stirred her heart at just the right moment.

What a wonderful strength and support prayer can be. Be a prayer warrior for your family and friends. It does make a difference.