The rapport of mortars being launched could be heard in the distance. The trailing whine ended in a large bang. The explosions were close tonight. Indirect fire is not often well aimed by the insurgents. On this night it again missed its mark landing in the residential area outside the Green Zone. It was the middle of the night.
It was a hot night. The lack of electricity made the flashes of light seem even brighter. Gunfire could be heard sporadically in the background. His teenage daughter held on tightly. The blasts brought fear and frailty to their home. A father holds a daughter and knows her heart.
The danger was real and ever present. It was mid-2006, and Baghdad was a violent place. Brandt Smith left the comfort of the United States to go to Baghdad, Iraq. He voluntarily went with his wife and daughter into a combat theater. Away from the relative protection of the Green Zone, they lived in the Red Zone, the real Baghdad. He and his family would remain in this ‘dark corner’ of the earth for over two years.
When you live in a city where terrorism is constantly battling against freedom, you learn that violence and chaos are commonplace. The list of friends lost to this violence brought Brandt deep pain. Yet amidst the turmoil God provided a refuge, sometimes through miraculous acts of protection, sometimes through the quiet presence of His love. Tonight, his daughter would have the reassuring words of her father speaking God’s Word.
In the psalms he found a resting place. There are passages sprinkled throughout the psalms that illustrate God’s compassion and grace for those in harm’s way. David was a man of war, and he had insight into the brevity of life. He understood this and communicated it to God. In many of these passages, David conveys a hope that meets the needs of the soldier and the missionary and their daughters.
The trembling began to subside. The noise faded to silence. And peace returned to their home.
Lord encamp around me. Teach me to fear you. Thank you Father for delivering me once again.
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)