As I am there on my knees, treating an injured soldier, someone poked me in my back.
“Leave me alone!” I shouted, not looking up.
Another poke, this one more forceful and into the back of my head. Turning around, I see an Afghan fighter with a large belt-fed RPK machine gun pointed at the back of my head with his finger on the trigger. He pointed at the empty bottles of antibiotics on the ground and then pointed the weapon back at me, putting his eyes behind the site of the weapon as if he was going to shoot it. Over the last hour he had seen us administer antibiotics to American soldiers, according to our protocol; he was clearly upset and wanted more antibiotics for the Afghan casualties.
I quickly scanned for someone who could help me but I was alone. With my weapon slung on my back I was not in a position to discuss anything and I needed to act.
Grabbing some old needles, syringes and a small bag of IV fluid, I drew as much left over antibiotics as I could, injected it into the IV fluid, and gave all the Afghan casualties a shot in the arm of this antibiotic solution.
I can’t even see anyone else from my unit, I thought as I was administering the antibiotics under gunpoint. But every once in a while I could hear a fifty caliber machine gun going off and I realized that our soldiers were still out there doing what they had to do to protect the position from being overrun by the Taliban. “I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?” I recited Psalm 121 in my mind. “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber… . The LORD watches over you, the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.”
Finally, the Afghan fighter and his friends who had threatened my life just moments ago seemed satisfied.
Father, I know you promise I will never be alone. You will always watch over me and care for me. You will keep me from harm and watch over my life. Thank you Father.
“The LORD will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7–8)