Daily Light

Today, in the grand scheme of Nick's deployment, was an incredibly stressful day. If you haven't seen the news today and/or didn't see my previous post, there was a really big suicide bombing attack in Nick's province of Afghanistan today. It was carried out against several Afghan government officials as they were leaving a mosque following a Ramadan service. If all this wasn't enough, I happen to know that Nick was meeting, personally, with a high-ranking official today (doesn't seem wise to include a lot of details here).

I was relieved, then, when I received an e-mail from him around lunchtime today entitled "I'm Okay." It turns out that while dozens of people were killed or injured, Nick and his US team members are all okay.

Tonight as I was getting ready for bedtime I opened up my Daily Light devotional book. I was bowled over as I read the scriptures for today, and was so humbled, feeling as though when this book was compiled, they were placed for today, September 2nd with my situation in mind. Here's an excerpt:
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might he increases strength. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I uphold you with my righteous right hand. You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for a blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. The testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me is love." If you want chapter and verse on these, let me know.

In a day wherein I had to call each member of my family (Hall, Edwards, Bradford, and Reitmeier alike) to tell them that there had been an attack in Nick's province, but that he was okay (subtext here being that he very likely could have not been okay) the reassurance I found in these scriptures has been incredible. Even better is the fact that they were all packaged up neatly for me, today, in my little devotional book.

Last night during my women's Bible study group we were talking about areas of our lives in which we are challenged to have faith. I mentioned the stress of Nick's deployment, and all that entails, and I said that each day I pray for enough peace to make it through that day, and I pray the same thing all over again the next day. Today, when I was in need of extra peace, to say the least, the Lord provided for me through these scriptures, and I am so thankful.

I appreciate all of your continued prayers for Nick as the situation over there seems to continue devolving. I also appreciate your prayers for myself and our family as we muddle through back at home.