Encouragement

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God And The Marine
© 2011

by

Stephen A. Peterson


During the Battle for Fallujah, Iraq, United States Marine Sergeant Marco Chavez was reported from the platoon during the house to house fighting. The fighting was so intense with explosions all around that Marines ran in all direction in one section to avoid injury or death.

Taking cover in a nearby building, Sergeant Chavez could hear foreign fighters just outside his hiding place. To avoid detection, he crawled to a back room in a defensive posture expecting the building would be searched once the fighting and shooting ceased. “Maybe,” he thought, “They may pass me by. But I can’t think that they will.”

As he waited, Sergeant Chavez prayed: “Jesus, Master of the universe, I have been your faithful throughout my life. I ask and pray for your protection from those who would do me harm. I submit myself into Your Divine hands. Your will be done.”

Once he finished his short prayer, laid quietly telling himself not to move or cough. As the explosions and gunfire ceased, Sergeant Chavez could hear voices come closer and closer. Sergeant Chavez prepared to die with a final prayer: “Lord Jesus, forgive me of my sins! Thank you, Lord, for all that You have given me. I am prepared for life in Your presence in eternal happiness. Amen.”

Listening to the voices coming closer, a small white colored cat walked quietly pass him in the direction of the outer room. The foreign fighters caught sight of the cat. Sergeant Chavez could hear them talking among themselves and laughing. They advanced no further seeming to re-direct their full attention to the cat. The men loudly left the building, it seemed, taking the cat with them.

Waiting for a couple hours, Sergeant Chavez realized his deliverance from harm when he heard the voices of his fellow Marines approaching then entering the building. “All clear!” shouted a Marine.

Opting not to make a move that may make a Marine fire, Sergeant Chavez remained on the floor with his weapon to his side.

“Sarge?” a Marine said. “We thought you were finished. How’d you do it?”

“You’d never believe it,” Sergeant Chavez replied.

“Try us,” another Marine uttered.

“A cat.”

“A cat? What do you mean a cat?”

“God came to protect me in the form of a cat when I prayed for help and protection. At the first, I didn’t understand it. When everything was over and had time to think about, the cat was God. When I crawled in this place, there was nothing or no one here. The cat appeared from nowhere.”

One the way back to the main body of his unit, Sergeant Chavez prayed: “You know, Lord, I forgot for a moment that You work in strange and mysterious ways. That your thoughts are above my thoughts and Your ways above mine. Forgive me for my lack of faith in You. I have learned my lesson. I will never doubt You no matter what valley or valleys You place in my path. Thank you, Lord, for my deliverance.”

All of us at various stages of our life face great threats. Threats to our lives, ways of life and our spiritual and psychological well-being. When this happens, it is so easy to forget God’s power and worse to abandon God altogether because we want God to follow OUR road map.

Whatever happens in your life, always remember that God is in TOTAL control. He promised that He will never abandon or forsake you. God is with you and in you. This is whether you have lost a spouse or a child; lost your job or your wealth; failed a test or at living your life the way you planned. No one is too evil or bad enough to lose God’s unconditional love.

You may not understand or know what is happening at the time but place your faith in Him and His unconditional love. You may not receive what you want immediately. Or you may not receive what you want at all. What you do receive may not be what you want but rest assured that it will be for your own good. The keys to living are: prayer, patience and faith—and never, ever give up even though the situation is difficult even life threatening. Never allow naysayers and your own lack of patience and faith discourage you!

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