Sweltering. Blistering. Withering. Scorching. It was summertime in Iraq, the temperature hit 130 degrees. It was in this heat that we learned there was another Hero Mission to do. One problem an intense dust storm along the way meant we couldn’t fly out to pick up the soldier.
This was a big deal. It’s not good for a body to just sit in the heat like that, as one can imagine. And these soldiers, his friends and comrades, were out there with him. Not only do we want to get him out of there as quick as possible out of respect for the dead, but in order for his teammates around him to get their heads straight. They can’t be sitting there with their friends decomposing in the back of a Humvee can’t function. That’s why we were such a fast reaction team.
We were paralyzed to do our duty because the dust storm stubbornly refused to ease up. It looked like we wouldn’t be able to take off all day. We were helpless to control the situation, except for one thing: prayer.
Lord, the chaplain and I prayed together, we need to get this soldier on home. We really need to get our guy out of there. Calm the winds, settle the dust, clear the skies. Make a way for us to fly.
Within an hour and against the meteorological odds we were getting on the bird and going to pick up that soldier. We got him through God’s grace so he could be taken care of properly. And his fellow soldiers, though still keenly aware of his loss, were better able to focus on the rest of their mission.
Sometimes the Lord answers prayer so directly, so quickly, that it can only be credited to God (as in this case). Other times, what we pray for isn’t given to us for reasons we can’t ever hope to understand. I’ve learned to make my peace with that. The important thing is to keep on praying, and trust God for every outcome.
Lord, help me remember to take all things to you in prayer, believing you will answer according to your wisdom.
“Pray continually.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)