Monday, February 26, 2007

The Lord works in mysterious ways...

I never thought that the Lord would use me in any significant way until Uncle Sam had his way with me.

Setting: Iraq
Time Frame: sometime between May 2003 and now.

So there I was, sitting in the sand...well, not literally, but you catch my drift...pun intended. I was away from my family, I was getting shot at every so often, and I was REEEEEEEALLY appreciating the modern techology that is UnderArmour(R).

Sure, I was praying...pretty much everyone was in some way shape or fashion; there's no atheists in foxholes.

But instead of simply asking for a safe trip home for me, I was also praying that all the soldiers in my unit come home safe. I prayed for the spiritual well-being of my fellow soldiers, and told them I was praying for them. I did a daily devotional, occasionally posting a particularly inspirational tidbit near our platoon area, and every time the subject of faith came up, there was never any question which side I'm on.

Little did I know that these little things I was doing were shaping me into who the Lord needed me to be at that point in time. After a year of working closely with the same people day in and day out, at least 150 people have a very good idea what a Christian looks like. Several of those folks had what could only be termed as a revival of their faith. I'm still hearing of changes the Lord has made in people's lives, and I thank God that I was able to serve Him in this manner. And I just thought I was strengthening my OWN faith.

He is the potter, I am the clay. No matter how many times I flop over and spin off the wheel, He can still use me for His purposes.

Lord, I pray that you continue to make me into the man I need to be. Help me to walk the path You have set before my feet.

2 comments:

BlessfulWritings said...

I am amazed at the circumstances of our lives--good and bad--and how God can use each one for His purposes. My prayer is that you will continue to be malleable to the purposes of our Lord. He is in control and to be greatly praised for bringing you, and your entire unit, home safely!

Anonymous said...

Hi Nick & April- At least I think that is whos page this is.

Just floating around on your blog. It's exciting to see how God is shaping you two and guiding you both into what he has planned for you.

Later