By Derek LangA Christian radio station related the story of a soldier in Afghanistan. He and his team had completed a mission and were anxious to get home. They drove their vehicle through the desert but had to stop as a storm picked up. The storm was fierce and the soldier prayed for it to stop so they could get home. Yet the storm continued. He prayed and prayed but the storm would not relent. Finally they hunkered down for the night, unable to move forward. The next morning they woke up. The storm had stopped. The team was in amazement that the storm had moved the sands to reveal in front of them a mine field which they surely would have hit if they had proceeded the day before. The message was that God give us what we need, not always what we want.
Sorry that I could not come up with an original story this week. The week has been emotionally exhausting with the passing of an aunt, stresses at work, deadlines for a volunteer project, and uncertainties in a dating situation. I found particular solace in this story about God. Often when I am overwhelmed, it is comforting to know that there is a God – someone bigger than me who sees all, knows all, and will take care of me when I cannot take care of myself.
In our series on Philippians, Paul exhorts us to nurture a personal relationship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. What a joy to know that I am not alone. What comfort to know that someone cares.