Ben
After nearly a week of dragging my sore body up the hour-long trek along the rugged mountain paths, I had nearly come to dread my life choices. On this brisk morning, I paused at the top of the crest to rest a minute, watching the column of Marines trudge on. The sun peaked over the rim and lit the fog afire with golden fury. Astonished and amazed, my heart suddenly soared at this incredible reminder of God’s creation and the reflection of His glory we are privy to…if we only look up.
SAY TO GOD: “HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME!”
After nearly two decades fighting for our nation on four continents, I became convinced of my great purpose in this world. Surely all of this had been preparing me for some great next quest. Yet as the years passed, I continually found myself at home. Caring for children, my wife, my neighbors. Yet it became those duties that my Savior used to show me the sheer privilege of raising up the future in the faith. And that the best title I could have been given was Papa. More than enough greatness.
SAY TO GOD: “MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE!”
I consoled my son. He was once again in the depths of despair due to the nature of his childhood illness. I headed back downstairs and soon I heard the beautiful melody strummed from my son’s guitar. Since he had been convalescing, he had taken up teaching himself guitar. And to his own surprise, was quite talented. A little while later his mood had lightened. He expressed his own gratitude for the ‘forced’ time to learn and practice. And I expressed my own gratitude for the goodness of God. For extra time. And the gift of music.
SAY TO GOD: “GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD!”
As my wife and I prayed once again for our nation, and for the Lord in heaven to deliver us from the coming darkness of such blatant national disobedience, moral decline, and bold embrasure of sin, we lifted our hopes that the Lord would not let evil persist but would indeed, ‘heal our land’. The outcome has at times looked bleak, but we see change coming to our nation. We’ve also witnessed our neighbors cheerfully embracing each other, and putting their shoulders to the effort of healing deep divides and extending hands in shalom.
SAY TO GOD: “DELIVER US FROM EVIL!”